USPB activities initiate new US chip-stock sales The US Potato Board has created a chip-stock program that consists of three main components: education, sampling and creating buyer/seller relationships to develop new products using US potatoes. All of these elements have created a successful program that can be customized for many foreign markets. Many manufacturers think that because the transit time is long that US potatoes will not be in good condition upon arrival at their facility. Because this is not the case, the USPB continues to share information with the snack manufacturers to convince them that US potatoes are the highest quality despite the transit time By providing educational materials all of our future buyers begin to understand the many chip-stock varieties grown in the United States and their characteristics. The materials also help them understand that contracting with US growers is the best way to ensure an adequate supply for their production. The Board continues to work with the Quality Samples Program to provide snack manufacturers that have not previously tried US chipping potatoes a risk free way to test US potatoes in their facility. In the fall of 2006, the Board worked with snack manufacturers to send sample shipments to four different snack manufacturers in Malaysia (2), Thailand (1) and the Philippines (1), each manufacturer was able to test three different chip-stock varieties in their facility. By providing US potato samples the Board can prove that US potatoes can make the trip despite the long transit time and that US potatoes provide the highest quality available. In November 2006, the United States Potato Board organized a trade mission to SE Asia for chip-stock growers to meet with snack manufacturers. The trade mission provided the opportunity to educate foreign chip manufacturers about US chip-stock varieties and quality and gave US growers a first hand look at export markets and foreign chip manufacturing operations. During the trade mission the US delegation visited leading snack manufacturers in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. Providing quality maintenance education demonstrates that the US not only wants to sell them US potatoes, but also wants to help them with their production. Trade missions like this one, create long term relationships between the US potato industry and foreign snack manufacturers and creating these relationships is key to making sales. Because of these activities and a Reverse Trade Mission hosted by the USPB in May 2006 the Board saw excellent results in market year 06/07. As a matter of fact this year alone there were 3 new US chip-stock potato buyers, reaching over 1240 MT in new sales. Frito-Lay Thailand began importing US chipping potatoes for production in December 2006, URC in the Philippines received their first commercial shipments of US chipping potatoes in August 2007 and Liwayway in the Philippines began using US chipping potatoes for production in December 2006. The Board’s chip-stock program helped initiate the first commercial potato shipments to Philippines. The USPB will continue to strive to create new markets for US chipping potatoes and to enhance US chipping potato growers’ export capabilities. As a result of the winning combination of activities sales of US chipping potatoes continue to increase year after year.
Chip-stock sample shipment sent to Tai Sun in Malaysia in November 2006
Chip-stock trade mission visit to URC in the Philippines in November 2006. Joe Sowokinos (University of Minnesota) & Jason Davenport (California Oregon Seed) talk about maintaining US potato quality with URC