Building new demand for U.S. dehydrated potatoes

Farm and Ranch Report November 17, 2010 Using research of targeted markets, and providing education and training, the U.S Potato Board is creating new overseas demand for U.S. dehydrated potatoes. The Board’s Theresa Kuwahara says in the last fiscal year 31 new products were launched.

Kuwahara: “We have trade shows that we attend where we present the new information and also show end users how dehy can be integrated into a number of different products, such as bakery application. Applications targeted to specific sectors where we are working such as the deli market or food manufacturing market, things like that, so people can actually see what some of these end uses are and then they can go back and us dehy to develop their own products.”

Products like soup mixes, noodles, breads and pastries.

Kuwahara says one of the selling points of U.S. dehy is quality.

Kuwahara: “U.S. dehydrated potatoes are high quality and consistent year-end-year-out, I mean all months out of the year, in comparison to some of their local potatoes which vary depending upon varieties they get and storage conditions.”

In this new fiscal year for the USPB several new products have been launched in Japan, also Mexico and the Philippines using U.S. dehy.

Kuwahara: “It means increased exports of U.S. dehydrated potatoes.”

That’s the U.S. Potato Update. Brought to you by the United States Potato Board, maximizing return on grower investment. I’m Bob Hoff for Northwest Aginfo Net.