Demand for US potato exports is strong in many markets, as many countries around the world relax restrictions and show signs of recovery from the pandemic. Overall US potato and potato product exports increased during the first three quarters of the marketing year (July 2021-March 2022) compared to the same period of the previous year.
From July 2021 to March 2022, US frozen potato exports increased by nearly 3% in volume and 6% in value. Major increases for frozen shipments occurred in Canada with a 42% growth, the Philippines with a 25% growth, and Myanmar with a 13% growth. Central America, Mexico, Japan, and Vietnam also saw increases during the nine months.
“These increases are a great sign of recovery in the international food-service sector. While frozen exports were up overall, there were significant declines in shipments to Thailand by -36%, Malaysia by -15%, and Saudi Arabia by -20%. These, and other markets, are still suffering from unstable supply and shipping issues. This is particularly true for Asian markets, where shipping times are much longer. Many international restaurant chains are looking to source frozen products from other origins to ensure a consistent supply. Some major operators, such as A&W and Carl’s Jr. in Thailand, are going so far as to shut down operations in the market entirely. Despite this, demand for US potatoes in international markets remains high,” according to the latest PotatoesUSA report.
Fresh potato exports from the United States increased by nearly 10% in volume between July and March, including both table-stock potatoes and chipping potatoes for processing. The value of fresh shipments increased by 15% as a result of global price increases and inflation.
“Some markets did see a drop in US fresh potato shipments, including a -90% decrease in Vietnam and a -43% decrease in Thailand. Fresh exports were up in many major markets though, including the top two export markets for US potatoes: Canada, where fresh shipments were up 10%, and Mexico, where fresh shipments increased by 13%. Notably, the first shipments of fresh potatoes destined for beyond the 26-kilometer border zone of Mexico have crossed the border! The US potato industry continues to work through the process to create more efficiencies for future shipments. These first shipments occurred in Q4 of the marketing year and will be included in next quarter’s export report,” the US potato analysts mentioned.
Dehy potato exports from the United States are not recovering at the same rate as other potato products because supply is limited. Dehydrated shipments were down -10% by volume in the first three quarters of the current marketing year.
“Some of the largest drops in dehydrated potato exports compared to the previous year were in Central America (-55%), China (-55%), the Philippines (-43%), and Japan (-31%). Amongst these decreases, some markets did see increased shipments of U.S dehydrated potatoes: South Korea, which saw an increase of 105%, and Taiwan, which had an increase of 44%,” the experts concluded.
