California Fruit and Vegetable

Category: Economics

  • 2024 California Fresh Fig Season Gets Early Start

    Hot summer temperatures means good news for fresh fig lovers. Due to the extreme heat, the main harvest of the California Fresh Fig started a couple weeks earlier than usual, according to the California Fresh Fig Growers Association, and the fruit will be beautiful and plentiful well into the fall.

    “After years of drought and fires, California fig orchards are the healthiest they’ve been in years,” says Karla Stockli, Chief Executive Officer of the California Fresh Fig Growers Association. “This promises to be one of the best California Fresh Fig seasons we’ve ever seen!”

    This year’s first crop, known as the breba crop, delivered the first Mission figs of the season May-June. The main crop, now underway, is delivering plump and delicious varieties, such as Brown Turkeys, Missions and Sierras. Additional varieties will continue to become available through November.

    In California, there are four primary varieties of fresh figs offering unique flavor notes:

    • Mission. Purple and black skin with deep earthy flavor.
    • Brown Turkey. Light purple to black skin with robust flavor.
    • Sierra. Light-colored skin with a fresh, sweet flavor.
    • Tiger. Light yellow color with unique dark green stripes and a bright red-purple interior fruit with fruity, raspberry, citrus flavor.

    California’s fig growers continue to plant additional acres to meet consumer demand. From increased menu offerings in the restaurant industry to sampling and displays at grocery retailers, a comparable size crop to last year’s nearly 10 million pounds will be harvested in 2024. This is good news following the pandemic and decline in foodservice sales.

    While California Fresh Figs are available seasonally, California Dried Figs are a year-round staple, offering the same nutrition and taste benefits. Substitute dried figs for fresh in salads, sandwiches, pizzas, sauces, and more, to enjoy California Figs throughout the year.

    For recipes and more information, visit CaliforniaFigs.com.

    About the California Fig Advisory Board and the California Fresh Fig Growers Association
    The California Fig Advisory Board and California Fresh Fig Growers Association promote awareness and the use of California-produced dried and fresh figs domestically and internationally. California fig growers, processors and marketers fund the activities of the industry.

  • California Avocado Acreage Increases, 2023 Report Available

    Each year the California Avocado Commission partners with Land IQ to produce a Statewide Avocado Acreage and Condition Analysis report utilizing digital satellite imagery, aerial photography and analytical tools to survey California avocado groves. This data helps the Commission make informed budgeting and marketing decisions and provides industry members with spatial data concerning crop type, location, condition and density. See the full 2023 Report HERE.

    According to the report:

    • In 2023 there were 52,534 planted avocado acres
    • The majority of growing acreage is located in Ventura, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Riverside and San Luis Obispo Counties with a total of 50,818 planted acres
    • The five top-producing counties reported 1,059 new/young acres and 3,399 topped/stumped acres

    The report also provides acreage data by zip code, county, condition, year planted and density.

    The California Avocado Commission’s crop estimating team in conjunction with Land IQ uses the latest in remote sensing techniques to assess avocado acreage in production.  As technology continues to advance refinements in our fourth generation of remote sensing techniques were applied to satellite imagery collected during spring and summer months.  The imagery processing techniques include; segmentation into homogenous polygons, retention of tree crop polygons, calculation of average crop canopy moisture and vegetation indices, analysis of change maps from previous inventories, and classification of avocado groves into four categories; producing, topped/stumped, new/young, and abandoned.  Aerial imagery (for a real-world view), and satellite imagery (for spectral and temporal data) are integrated into previously classified avocado acreage and analyzed for current condition of California avocado acreage statewide.

  • Maintaining Microirrigation Systems

    Microirrigation systems — microsprinklers, drip emitters and drip tape — tend to provide better distribution/emission uniformity than other irrigation methods. However, the miniscule flow passages in these systems can become clogged and thus disrupt the uniformity of water applied to a crop. Clogging also decreases the amount of salt leaching around the lateral line.

    Late fall and winter are an ideal time to review irrigation systems for needed repairs or malfunctions. A great resource is the University of California’s Maintenance of Microirrigation Systems website that outlines various causes of microirrigation clogging and means of preventing or mitigating the problems.

    The first step in alleviating clogs is identifying the problem. Clogs can be caused by:

    • Particulates — sand, silt, clay — from surface water sources
    • Biological materials — algae, bacterial slimes — from surface water sources
    • Chemical precipitates — such as iron and calcium carbonate — from groundwater sources or fertigation

    To identify the issues, first flush water from the lateral lines through a nylon stocking or paint straining cloth and examining what material is collected. If you see mineral particles, you have identified your problem. If you notice that clogging tends to occur at the ends of the lines, this also tends to indicate particulate clogging.

    If you identify organic matter when flushing the line, then biological materials are the issue. You also can open the end of a lateral line and feel inside the tube to see if it is slimy. If so, biological materials are the source of your problem.

    If you note white, crusty materials or reddish staining of the soil near the emitters, this is indicative of chemical precipitates.

    Once you have identified the clogging source, you can take steps to address the issue.

    Particulate issues can be prevented by regular line flushing and the use of filters. The website provides a list of various filters and a table noting which filter to choose based on water source, particulates and irrigation system. To adequately flush the lines, water must flush at least 1 foot per second at the end of the drip line — 1 gallon/minute for 5/8” diameter and 2 gallons/minutes for 7/8” diameter drip lines.

    If organic matter is the source of the clogging, the best mode of treatment is a good filtration system combined with use of a biocide to remove the biological contaminants. Visit the UCANR site for a list of filters and the aforementioned “how to choose a filter” table.

    If calcium carbonate (lime) or iron is clogging your emitters, strong acid can make either disappear if emitters are left in it overnight. Lowering the pH (6 or below) of the water by injecting common acids — sulfuric acid, muriatic acid or hydrochloric acid — can help prevent clogging due to lime. UCANR provides specific formulas to help growers determine the injection rate needed to alter water pH.

    If high iron levels are the source of the clogging, aerating the water to oxidize the iron and then allowing the precipitates to settle before irrigating (a reservoir or settling basin is necessary) is the most practical option. Common acids also can be injected to decrease the pH of the water (4 or less).

    Other maintenance tasks include addressing leaks. For above ground systems, lines can be inspected routinely by using a motorized vehicles to drive along the lines when the irrigation system is running. Detecting leaks for subsurface drip systems is much more difficult, with many sources of the leaks being identified several feet from where the excessive water is detected. If the tail ends of your lateral lines are exposed, one of the best ways to test for leaks is to open just a few of the ends of the lines and note whether the waterflow is diminished.

    Because filters can clog frequently, many growers opt not to use screen washers in lateral lines and instead use primary and secondary filters to limit contaminants. Filter maintenance consists of occasionally backwashing them to remove collected matter. This can be done by removing and cleaning the screen or opening a valve and using the water pressure to remove buildup.

    As concerns pressure gauges, it is recommended these be installed upstream and downstream of filters and downstream from pressure-regulating valves. Liquid-filled pressure gauges are a preferred choice but tend to be more expensive. And remember to check the gauges, especially those exposed to the sun which may need to be replaced yearly. — By the California Avocado Commission

    For more information on routine microirrigation tasks, visit the UCANR website.

  • Transplanted Bees Help Blueberry Fields Flourish

    Pollinating bees are in decline, and those that remain may not be up to the task of pollinating all the crops needed to feed the nation. To help keep food on the table, researchers are looking to native wild bees to take up the slack, especially for blueberries and other fruit crops.

    “Honeybees are considered a universal crop pollinator worldwide, but their populations are in trouble, and they do not always pollinate certain crop plants efficiently,” said Blair Sampson, entomologist with the Agricultural Research Service’s Southern Horticultural Research Laboratory in Poplarville, MS. “Therefore, we [are turning] to wild native bees that share a much longer ecological history with our native North American crops.”

    Some of these native bees can be managed like the honeybee, which means beekeepers and farmers can relocate colonies from their home regions for deployment to where crops are blooming. Native bees are very docile when being handled and they take care of themselves with little need for human involvement. Sampson is studying such a native bee, the chimney bee (also known as the miner bee).

    Male chimney bee resting on a cluster of southern highbush blueberry flowers. (Photo by Blair Sampson, ARS)

    Chimney bees are turning out to be an important find for blueberry growers.

    In addition to the problem of declining populations, honeybees have difficulty pollinating blueberries due to their relatively short tongue and preference for other plants. Another wild bee, the southeastern blueberry bee, is an abundant and efficient specialist pollinator of blueberries throughout the Gulf Coast states. Unfortunately, many growers in lower-lying areas lack these bees or have too few of them in their fields. These blueberry bees cannot be managed, but the chimney bee, a close relative, can be actively managed and moved in to fill the pollinator void.

    While chimney bees are not yet commercially available, relocating them is fairly simple, Sampson said. Gathering chimney bee cocoons from nests in the soil that sticks to the roots of fallen trees or roadside clay outcrops requires careful excavation and skilled handlers, but nesting material can simply be sun-dried clay-rich mud gathered locally. Further, there is no need for specialized tools and costs are minimal.

    Chimney bees must be shipped while in a dormant state, then gently warmed to complete their development and emerge from their cocoons. Further, water and additional nesting material should be available to help them thrive.

    “These bees do not produce enough honey for us, just enough for themselves, hence, chimney bees’ principal role would be as fruit pollinators,” Sampson explained. “However, the chimney bee does show certain qualities that highlight their ideal candidacy for commercial management: they are flower generalists with a strong homing instinct, and hence will nest in the same location for many years. They also nest in dense aggregations and remain gentle around people near their nest sites.”

    Sampson said that adult chimney bees resemble small, fast-flying bumble bee workers, yet they nest and behave very differently.

    The bees get their name from their horizontal tubular nests that resemble tiny mine shafts in clay, which they harden into “adobe” with the help of water they collect. As they dig deeper into a clay bank, they use this excess clay to fashion a downward facing tube or “chimney” hanging off the nest entrance.

    Locating and relocating chimney bee nests is fairly easy, because they’re easy to find after construction projects or natural weather events disturb the land and give bees easy access to fresh-turned clay. After finding the nests, Sampson gathers earthen cocoons and moves them to where they are tested or released as fruit pollinators.

    “Since pollinator habitat is continually declining due to increasing urbanization and crop cultivation, managing wild native bees, such as chimney bees, can help conserve vital natural resources and help farmers increase their yields,” Sampson said. “And, for fruit, nuts, and vegetable crops, native bees will be an essential component for optimizing crop production per acre of land, which is vital for maintaining a stable global food supply.” – By Scott Elliott, USDA-ARS Office of Communications

  • Over Half of Mexican Tomato Production is Destined for the U.S.

    Mexico’s 2024 tomato production is forecast at 3.30 million metric tons (MMT), a two percent increase over 2023, driven by export demand and investment in protected agriculture systems. Production in 2023 is estimated at 3.22 MMT, down eight percent compared to the previous year due to water constraints from drought conditions in some production areas. Drought and adverse weather impacts remain the main challenges for Mexico’s tomato production. While some producers in Mexico have invested in protected production, other regions continue to produce in open fields, with lower yields and more exposure to climatic factors. Sinaloa remains the leading state in tomato production, contributing 22 percent of national production.

    The United States is Mexico’s top tomato export market, with 1.82 MMT in exports valued at USD 2.7 billion in 2023, up by one percent in terms of volume and ten percent in value compared to 2022. Investments in greenhouse technology in recent years has enabled producers to deliver better quality products.

    Production

    Mexico’s tomato production is forecast to increase two percent year-on-year in 2024 to 3.30 MMT, due to strong export demand, mainly from the United States. Production in 2023 showed an 8 percent decline compared with 2022, falling to 3.22 MMT. The top five tomato production states deliver over 51 percent of national production. Sinaloa remains the leading tomato producer with 22 percent of national production, followed by San Luis Potosí (13 percent) and Michoacán (7 percent). Baja California Sur, Jalisco, and Sonora each contribute 5 percent to total production.

    Adverse climate conditions have contributed to a shift towards protected production during the last decade, mainly production in greenhouses, shade houses, and high tunnels instead of open field cultivation. This shift decreased production in the short-term, while resulting in increased production over time as yields and produce quality rose. In the areas where open field cultivation predominates, adverse weather conditions such as drought, excessive rain, or abrupt temperature changes usually cause significant production losses. The shift towards protected tomato production in Mexico began in the early 2000s but accelerated during the beginning of the 2010s. The trend has been steadily increasing since then, as producers look to increase their yields.

    Mexico’s tomato production occurs throughout the year across several geographic regions. From December to April, the state of Sinaloa, Mexico`s largest open-field and shade house tomato producer, dominates the domestic market and exports over 80 percent of its crop to the United States. From May to November, the major producing states include San Luis Potosi, Michoacan, Baja California Sur, Jalisco, and Sonora.

    Mexico produces a wide variety of tomatoes, with the most common being the cherry, bola, and saladette varieties, which are popular for their sweet flavor and versatility. Other high end or gourmet tomatoes varieties, including grape and cocktail, are grown almost exclusively for export to the United States. A wide variety of tomatoes are used in the processing industry due to their intense flavor and high yield.

    Production varies seasonally, with peak production in October and the lowest production period in March. Local producers report efforts to extend their growing and harvesting season from 28 to 40 weeks, partly through the use of substrates growing material. For example, production of saladette tomatoes in Jalisco state begins in July and stretches into January, at which point the plants are transplanted to a new substrate to promote continued production.

    On average, growers can harvest around 30 kilograms per square meter over the course of the season, which equates to about 1 kilogram per square meter per week. Large producers enjoy year-round production due to improvements in water management, greenhouse production and other technology improvements.

    Profits have been constrained in recent years by Mexico’s strong “super peso” and the rising cost of substrates, labor, pesticides, and other inputs. Most producers obtain substrate from suppliers in Europe and Asia, while some partner with research institutions to develop their own substrate. In Mexico, greenhouse structures are made of steel, which has seen high prices in recent years but typically lasts around three years.

    Tomato prices tend to be highest from October to December, when production is lower outside of the top producing state of Sinaloa.

    Growing Conditions

    Mexico’s tomato production is year-round, with the October to December period accounting for 42 percent of production. In recent years Mexican tomato growers have been implementing and adapting protected growing methods to improve tomato yields. According to Government of Mexico data, approximately 66 percent of tomato production takes place in greenhouses while the remaining 34 percent is carried out in open fields. Protected production allows for better pest and disease management, resulting in better yields.

    Tomatoes require well-drained loamy or sandy loam soils, with moisture holding capacity. In Mexico, the best temperatures for tomato production are between 60°F and 85°F, with temperatures above or below this range tending to slow growth and fruit maturation. Ideal conditions also include constant sunlight, humidity of 65-85%, and between one and two inches of water per week.

    Consumption

    Graph 4: Monthly Share of Tomato Production

    According to the Government of Mexico, the annual per capita consumption of tomatoes is 12.7 kgs per person, making the tomato the number one vegetable consumed by Mexicans. Tomatoes are the foundation of Mexican cuisine, an integral part of the basic food basket, and essential to every Mexican household. Tomatoes are predominately used for sauces (both spicy and sweet), tacos, and stews. Tomatoes offer flavors that balance out the spicy elements of chili peppers, providing versatility to recipes used in both traditional and modern Mexican cooking.

    Trade

    Aside from distilled spirits and beer, tomatoes are the number two agricultural product exported to the United States at USD 2.71 billion, just behind avocados at USD 2.724 billion and ahead of berries at USD 1.971 billion. Mexico fulfills 25 percent of the worldwide demand, making it the eight largest producer worldwide.

    According to Trade Data Monitor, 2023 Mexican tomato exports totaled USD 3.02 billion and 2 million metric tons (MMT). The main export market is the United States with 99.8 percent of exports, followed by Canada and Japan. 2023 represented a record-breaking year for Mexican tomatoes being exported to the northern neighbor.

    Approximately 90% of saladette production is exported to the United States, with cherry, grape and other high end niche varieties exported almost entirely. According to producers, transport time from Mexican fields to U.S. supermarket shelves is about two days, via border ports in Texas and Arizona. Mexico’s 2023 tomato imports totaled less than USD 1 million, primarily from the United States.

    Policy

    The Tomato Suspension Agreement (TSA) between the U.S. Department of Commerce and signatory producers/exporters of fresh tomatoes grown in Mexico ensures that signatory producers and exporters sell Mexican tomatoes at or above the TSA reference price to eliminate the injurious effects of exports of fresh tomatoes to the United States. The Agreement, which was updated effective September 19, 2019, applies to all fresh and chilled tomatoes except tomatoes for processing. — By Manuel Mandujano, USDA Foreign Ag Service

  • Avocados Get Hot — 4 Things to Consider Next

    It’s been hot and there is leaf damage. Those damaged leaves can protect the tree now and the fruit. Don’t prune the trees until you see the full extent of the damage and can still use those dead leaves to protect the rest of the tree.
    Fruit drop happens soon after, or slowly, depressingly over several weeks after a heat wave. The stem turns brown, cutting off moisture to the fruit, and they drop.

    If you see significant leaf drop in your groves due to excessive heat, the following actions are recommended:

    • As soon as possible, whitewash branches exposed to the sun with special attention paid to branches on the west and south sides of the tree.
    • Trees that lose a significant portion of leaves cannot efficiently move water, therefore restrict irrigation amounts to ensure you avoid creating wet, soggy conditions that can lead to root rot. It’s best to irrigate less frequently and with smaller amounts of water.
    • Do not prune your trees — leave hanging leaves in place to protect the tree from sunburn. Once new tree growth has occurred (in the next 3 – 6 months), pruning can take place on living wood.
    • Adjust fertilization as you would with a frost-damaged tree: reducing the amount of fertilizer until the tree is re-established. If you see signs of a particular nutrient deficiency, adjust fertilization accordingly.— By Ben Faber, UC Cooperative Extension

  • Congressman John Duarte Shares Legislative Priorities for California Ag in Crisis

    In November 2022, the newly realigned 13th Congressional District of California elected to send a farmer to represent them in congress. Representative John Duarte has been at the job for about a year in a half and has been working on a number of bills to support California’s specialty crop industries, which are in desperate need of recovery from many challenges brought on by the pandemic and drought, among other global trade, inflation, and invasive pest pressures. Watch his brief interview with Matthew Malcolm from California Ag Network to learn more.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Southern California Gas Company for their industry support.

  • Vietnam Grants Market Access For California Peaches And Nectarines

    The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Vietnam has granted market access for California peaches and nectarine effective immediately. Eliminating the phytosanitary barriers keeping California peaches and nectarines out of the Vietnamese market required multiple rounds of technical negotiations over the course of several years.

    “This market access is a big win for California’s nectarine and peach producers,” said USDA’s Jenny Lester Moffitt, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. “Our APHIS trade team members have worked diligently to make this opened market a reality for Vietnam’s citizens. We are thrilled they will now have access to the fine peach and nectarine fruit that California produces.”

    The California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA) would like to extend its appreciation to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Foreign Agricultural Service, and Agricultural Research Service’s negotiators and experts, the California Department of Food and Agriculture, and the Fresno County and Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner offices for their invaluable contributions to this process.

    “This is a fantastic example of USDA scientists providing the quality and objective research that was essential for Vietnam’s approval and for future U.S. industry exports,” said Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young, USDA Chief Scientist and Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics. “This new international market access underscores the critical value of federal scientific research and data to the overall food supply system.”

    There will be strict production and packing protocols in place but given the enduring success of existing export programs, California stone fruit shippers have already demonstrated a commitment to meeting Vietnam’s requirements.

    “The California stone fruit industry identified Vietnam as a strategic export market because Vietnamese consumers value high quality and sweet fruit. Naturally, the varieties California growers have invested in over the years will be popular there. Access to this market is something our industry has been working towards for a significant amount of time, so we are looking forward to introducing the best stone fruit in the world to a new group of consumers” said Caroline Stringer, CFFA Director of Trade.

    The California Fresh Fruit Association is a voluntary, public policy organization that represents growers, packers, and shippers of the California table grape, blueberry, kiwi, pomegranate, and deciduous tree fruit communities. CFFA serves as a representative for these growers, shippers, and packers, on issues at both the state and federal levels. More information on the Association can be found at www.cafreshfruit.com.

  • International Trade Commission Determine Antidumping And Countervailing Duties Remain Essential To Prevent Injury To The US Olive Industry

    The California table olive industry commends today’s 4-0 vote by the International Trade Commission (ITC) affirming that the antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) orders first imposed on Spanish ripe olives in 2018 must remain in place. The ITC’s determination was based on its findings that a revocation of the olive AD/CVD orders is reasonably likely to lead to a continuation or recurrence of material injury to the California ripe olive industry.

    The ITC’s unanimous vote in favor of the California industry follows companion determinations issued by the Department of Commerce (Commerce) in late 2023 finding that a revocation of the AD and CVD olive orders would lead to a recurrence of dumping margins as high as 25.5% and CVD margins as high as 13.9%. These ITC and Commerce decisions were made in the context of the five-year “Sunset Review” procedures required under US trade law and, because of the affirmative rulings, now extend the olive AD/CVD orders for another five years. The Musco Family Olive Company successfully litigated these proceedings on behalf of the California-based ripe olive industry.

    “The US Government and court systems have repeatedly confirmed over the last five years that the Spanish industry is still benefiting from unfair European Union (EU) subsidies and is still dumping its ripe olives in the US market,” said Michael Silveira, Chairman of the Olive Growers Council of California. “If it weren’t for the US Government’s ongoing AD/CVD orders on Spanish olives, American table olive production, and hundreds of family farmers and allied jobs would be in serious jeopardy,” he said.

    For years, the EU has tried to shield its unfair, disproportionate farm subsidy payments from external legal challenges. After the US issued its olive AD/CVD orders in 2018, the EU has worked to overturn the olive orders by challenging them in the WTO and politically pressuring the US Government to terminate the olive tariffs.

    The EU hopes to undermine a fundamental US trade enforcement law, Sec. 771B of the Tariff Act of 1930, used by Commerce to calculate the olive orders, and by undermining that law, terminate the olive tariffs. As the US courts have made clear, however, Sec. 771B is an important US trade law intended by Congress to ensure effective trade relief for American agriculture.

    Silveira said, “The EU and Spanish interests want the US Government to overturn US trade law to allow the Spanish industry to go back to selling its dumped and subsidized olive prices with no consequences.” He added, “that would only reinforce the EU’s protectionist agricultural policies and, by eroding trade enforcement, would undermine American-grown production and US food security.”

    The US Government’s AD/CVD orders on Spanish olives have given California olive farmers the time they need to reinvest in modern farming techniques, including through Musco’s “One Million Trees” initiative to help transition the industry to mechanized, drought-friendly acreage. Dennis Burreson, a California olive grower and Vice President of Field Operations and Industry Affairs for Musco Family Olive Company, highlighted the importance of the ITC and Commerce rulings Musco achieved for the California industry, adding “The olive orders, together with our industry-led investments, are a great example of how to break the cycle of unfair foreign trade practices and rebuild high quality, environmentally-friendly American production and American jobs.”

    The Olive Growers Council was organized as a bargaining cooperative with the mission to try to improve prices paid to farmers for their table olives delivered to the commercial processors.

  • Study Reveals Consumer Path to Purchasing Potatoes

    Navigating the consumer path to purchase can be complex, influenced by a countless factors. A new Potato Path to Purchase study from Potatoes USA uncovers key insights into consumer behavior and purchase patterns, offering a deeper understanding of the pre-shopping and in-store experiences that drive potato purchases. In addition to revealing the most recent data, the study provides actionable steps retailers can take to help drive potato sales.

    “Potatoes are a staple in consumers’ kitchens. They earn a place on the table whether it’s a casual Wednesday night or a Thanksgiving feast, and consumer favorability for potatoes translates to valuable opportunities for retailers,1” said Kayla Vogel, senior global marketing manager at Potatoes USA.

    Consumers note quality, price and quantity are the top three potato purchase factors.

    The Consumer Path to Purchasing Potatoes study, fielded by Nielsen IQ, found that shoppers’ path to purchase potatoes is mostly influenced by three key factors with over 90% of potato purchases being pre-planned.

    “Ranking purchase factors, freshness/quality receives the top rating, ahead of price1,” Vogel said. “For retailers, it is important to highlight freshness, including tips on how to best store potatoes at home to optimize shelf life and prevent unnecessary food waste.”

    According to the study, 84% of consumers want transparent bags1 so they can gauge freshness and quality for themselves. Vogel emphasizes merchandisers should create eye-catching displays with quality products and inspiration to try new potato recipes and varieties.

    “In-store, visual displays and inspirational signage drive influence more than discounts and promotions. As budgets tighten, people have remained loyal to potatoes. That means there are opportunities to significantly achieve scaled results through improved visibility, merchandising and cross-merchandising.”

    Potato purchasing decisions are driven by planned meals.

    Pre-store, there are numerous high-impact influences on consumer purchasing decisions, including:

    • Price and promotions in circular flyers. 
    • Recommendations from family and friends. 
    • YouTube recipes. 
    • Products in cookbooks. 
    • Shopping list apps. 
    • Ads in magazines or newspapers. 

    “Meal planning significantly influences pre-trip purchases with 90% of purchases being pre-planned,1” noted Vogel. “It’s important to integrate potatoes into recipe suggestions to optimize their inclusion on consumers’ grocery lists and prioritize pre-store touchpoints to influence consumer decisions.”

    80% of respondents plan which potato type they will buy with more than 44% going directly to the planned type in-store.

    “In-store buying decisions are predominantly swayed by point-of-purchase displays,” added Vogel. “Retailers and merchandisers can enhance the in-store experience through larger displays, secondary locations, inspirational signage and ensuring potatoes are readily accessible within the store.”

    89% of consumers believe potatoes are versatile and easily adapted to many different types of dishes.1

    “To inspire mealtime with potatoes, provide on-pack and shelf inspiration to show how potatoes can be used in the meal lineup multiple times a week without eating the same thing twice,” noted Vogel. “It’s also important to highlight new ways of using common varieties in special ways as well as expand on special occasions to increase sales.”

    1Nielsen Consumer LLC, Consumer Path to Purchase Potatoes Study 2023

    About Potatoes USA

    Potatoes USA is the national marketing and promotion board representing U.S. growers and importers. Potatoes USA, the largest vegetable commodity board, was established in 1971 by potato farmers to promote the benefits of eating potatoes. For more information on Potatoes USA’s mission to “Strengthen Demand for Potatoes,” visit PotatoGoodness.com.