Staff Writer
The 23rd Annual Maine Potato Conference was held Jan. 23-24 at the Caribou Inn and Convention Center with a number of speakers covering an array of topics over the two-day span.
Aroostook Republican photo/Debra Walsh
Looking over new potato varieties on display last week at the annual Maine Potato Conference were Jim Gerritsen, center, an organic potato farmer from Bridgewater, and Brianne O’Leary, also of Bridgewater, who works from McCain Foods Inc. A couple hundreds potato farmers and other members of the industry attended the session.
One presenter of note was David Fraser, U.S. Potato Board Industry Communication and Policy vice president.
Fraser mentioned a possible deal with Subway restaurants, which is in the process of market testing, making potatoes available at Subway locations nationwide. The plan which is being researched at 1,000 Subway restaurants is to offer mixed vegetables as a side dish called the “Veggie Roaster.” The side dish would include potatoes, carrots and broccoli combined with seasoning in a heated pouch. If testing goes well the potato industry could receive a major boost, by providing Subway restaurants with fresh potatoes.
“They actually asked if we had enough potatoes in the U.S. to supply to them. Yeah I think we’ve got enough,” said Fraser.
Fraser also discussed current trends in the potato industry and projects the U.S. Potato Board is looking into to improve marketing.
According to Fraser consumers tend to purchase potatoes in the form of French fries, chips or another prepared form, more often than they purchase table stock. Numbers for table stock have declined over the years, largely due to the fast- paced lifestyle Americans tend to live, according to Fraser.
Using this information, Fraser pointed out projects used to make potatoes more consumer friendly, such as pre-cutting into stackable piles and branching into more prepared foods.
Fraser also discussed the success dehydrated potatoes have seen in recent years.
“There’s a lot of excitement on the dehy side,” said Fraser.
“On the domestic side, we’re looking at a project where you can replace regular wheat flour for baking with dehy. And we’re finding that you get the same texture with improved nutritional quality and you decrease your costs. So this is a big project,” said Fraser.
“Look for more to come on that. That could pan out very very good,” added Fraser.
Internationally speaking potato exports topped $1 billion in 2007 according to Fraser. The U.S. Potato Board continues to tour internationally having recently visited Russia and China, to find how to best reach people in those markets.
“We’re trying to look at their culture, and their lifestyle and make our product fit into their culture and lifestyle. Instead of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole we’re trying to adapt to them, and we’re meeting with great success,” said Fraser.
Fraser also discussed the new ad slogan for potatoes designed to remind consumers that potatoes are good for you. The new slogan, “Goodness Unearthed,” will be found throughout consumer print and elsewhere.
The ad slogan which will replace the Healthy Mr. Potato Head ad campaign, will go hand in hand with the new nutrition message the U.S. Potato Board is pushing forward with.
2008 is also the United Nations’ designated “Year of the Potato,” according to Fraser.
“The whole premise is how potatoes have fed mankind around the world as a consumer staple for many populations throughout the course of history. So we’re tied in to that, and fortunately it’s a good year, where we’re launching our new nutrition message on top of that,” said Fraser.
Aroostook Republican photo/Andrew Walsh
David Fraser of the U.S. Potato Board talks about current trends in the potato industry during the annual potato conference last week.
