The U.S. Potato Board is targeting declining demand as a top priority.
During the group’s annual meeting March 11, board President Tim O’Connor urged members, in approving the next long-term plan, to make fixing declining demand a priority, and to focus on long-term goals. About 100 members were in attendance.
“If you have an industry of declining demand, there are a few things you see,” O’Connor said. “You see a lot of people who want to sell, and not a lot of people who want to buy, so you get a price war. Nobody wins a price war but the buyer.”
Negative press about acrylamide (a naturally occurring chemical compound produced by heating potatoes and other high-starch foods), low-carb diets, obesity and the perceived exclusion of potatoes in the lifestyles of on-the-go people are contributing to the declining demand, O’Connor said.
“I think if we don’t remain focused on long-term demand as a potato board, we’re going to be missing the boat,” O’Connor said. “I understand the short-term problems, low prices, too many potatoes, but there’s an endpoint to those problems.”
The speech was a call to action for grower-shippers.
“Are you communicating to consumers about nutrition? You’ve got a vehicle. You’ve got packaging. Just say something to consumers about nutrition,” O’Connor said.
