Great potato promotion opportunities for Idaho potatoes will abound in 2024, says Eric Beck, director of marketing for Idaho Falls, Idaho-based Wada Farms Marketing Group.
Beck said the long-term fresh potato supply is in a much better position compared with the last couple of seasons. Quality is above average, and size profiles will be good across the whole spectrum, he said.
“I think there are going to be promotional opportunities in Q1 and Q2 of 2024,” he said. “We definitely would encourage retailers to be looking at opportunities to do some potato promotions during those months.”
Potatoes of all varieties are of great value for consumers this season, including russets, gold and yellow potatoes, Beck said.
Wada Farms also has seen success with its chipper potato program as those potatoes have gained popularity in the foodservice market. There is a handful of well-yielding white chipper varieties that are popular for potato chips, hash browns and fries, he said.
In the bag
Over time, consumers have been looking for smaller pack sizes for fresh potatoes, but Beck said there are promotion opportunities with larger pack sizes as well.
“I think the 5-pound bags remain the bread and butter [option] for most retailers,” he said, adding that “the promotional opportunities to sell a 10-pound pack or a 5-pound [pack] are out there.”
Beck said there are adequate potato supplies to meet the needs and demands of any retailer.
“At the end of the day, it comes down to forging a partnership and a relationship between shipper and retailer and trying to bypass the transactional mindset; their success is our success,” he said.
