Frank Muir, President/CEO of Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) sent us the following updates on April 10th, 2020.:
Retail:
For the third week in a row potatoes led the produce category up 65% for the week ending 3/29. While foot traffic at stores declines as panic buying subsides, basket size is increasing significantly. Customers are being told by to shop infrequently and to purchase 2 weeks of supplies each time to minimize exposures. One positive of this is that consumers may buy larger sized bags of potatoes for now, changing the trend from smaller bags which has gone on the last decade.
Jumbo bin promotion flyer below:
Foodservice:
CORE efforts – children of restaurant employees. The IPC is participating in an effort which will deliver new recipes to the Foodservice database, developed by industry chefs, who will donate their fees to CORE, a non-profit industry organization (Children of Restaurant Employees). Recipes will be deployed in an e-blast to Flavor & the Menu readers. There will also be a print spread in the June issue of Flavor & the Menu magazine, showcasing the campaign and supporting brands.
For the week ending March 29, total restaurant transactions are down 42%, dropping another 6 points. While this is a fast-moving target, we now estimate that more than 97% of all U.S. commercial restaurant locations are restricted to off-premise sales only.
Distributor news:
Our Foodservice Promotion Managers are assisting their retail counterparts as needed. We are also approaching distributors about opportunities specifically with non-commercial accounts, i.e. healthcare and military accounts as these are accounts who are serving MORE people vs. fewer. The proposal and ideas we are presenting are a cost-efficient, nutrient-dense, versatile, and portable food product that can solve numerous needs for the channels.
IPC changed the website banner on the main Foodservice page and is directing operators to
recipe items good for take-out/delivery (see below):
We have developed new message for our digital ads:
International:
Latin America – In Mexico, our largest market, they are officially under a government ordered quarantine. The exchange rate is fluctuating 4%-6% daily. The Idaho Potato Commission has distributed a newsletter the for each of the last three weeks to communicate with buyers the situation in the US market and offer consumer tips regarding how to properly store potatoes. In addition, a border retailer, has reached out to the IPC and we will participate in a their Socially Responsible Campaign. The campaign will award consumers for their loyalty to the store, providing a fun platform where consumers will be invited to show how they creatively use Idaho potatoes while at home, through an online home cooking campaign, facilitated by the store. Asia – Most countries in Asia are in a government ordered lockdown. In Malaysia, the military patrols the streets with roadblocks to make sure people stay home. This has led to a reduction in consumer panic buying. Singapore is similar with their announcement this week calling for a month long “circuit breaker.” The trends of e-commerce and delivery services are exploding. Additionally, many Muslims are entering Ramadan season where they fast from sunrise to sunset. As such, the IPC has partnered with Master Chef Sabri Hassan to create 5 at home videos of how to cook with Idaho Potatoes. The recipes created will focus specifically on learning how to prepare Ramadan’s breaking-the-fast meals using Idaho Potatoes.
Industry relations:
Before this pandemic started, the Idaho Potato Commission has been working with Farm Service Agency on being included for WHIP+ funds (wildfires and hurricanes indemnity program plus) to help growers that were affected by the heavy moisture and then early frost and snow in October 2019. This will require a federal regist r notice that likely will take some time. Currently they are thinking that if all goes well, later this summer growers could apply for these funds. Growers will need to provide examples and documentation of how their crop was affected by moisture and temperature to qualify.
