Idaho Potato Commission Adds New International Offices for Latin America, South Korea

Global demand jumps for premium Idaho® potato brand

EAGLE, Idaho, May 14, 2012 – The Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) continues to expand its global reach, with a new international office serving Latin America launched in March 2012 and plans for a South Korea office to open this fall.

The new offices join the IPC’s existing roster of international offices for Mexico, Asia, and Southeast Asia, which have helped propel the premium Idaho® potato brand around the world. Idaho® potatoes are already sold in more than 15 countries, including Mexico, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Central American and Caribbean markets. As the United States’ largest potato-producing state, Idaho plays a vital role in the $186 million-and-growing market for U.S. fresh potato exports.

“Our international marketing efforts reinforce the strength of the global Idaho® potato brand as a premium product,” says Seth Pemsler, Vice President, Retail/International, IPC, who has helped spearhead the IPC’s global marketing initiative during the past decade. “We were getting requests [for Idaho® potatoes] from all over the world. We recognized that this is a global opportunity, and we want to meet those global needs.”

IPC-sponsored fresh produce distributor truck in Malaysia

IPC booth at ANTAD 2012 in Guadalajara, Mexico

The new United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS-FTA), which went into effect March 15, 2012, will play a major role in expanding the South Korean market for U.S. potatoes, including Idaho products, says Pemsler. Fresh potatoes imported by South Korea have primarily been used by snack makers, but under the new agreement there will be more opportunity for U.S. table-stock potatoes.

The IPC’s new South Korea and Latin America offices will help facilitate connections among Idaho® potato shippers and foreign trading partners, along with creating and executing marketing promotion programs and providing ongoing marketing support.

Southeast Asia buyers visiting an Idaho® potato field during a 2012 inbound trade mission

IPC booth at ANTAD 2012 in Guadalajara, Mexico

For more information about any of the IPC’s international offices, contact IPC International Marketing Manager Amanda Albers at Amanda.Albers@potato.idaho.gov.

About the Idaho Potato Commission
The Idaho Potato Commission is a state agency that is primarily responsible for expanding the markets for Idaho-grown potatoes through advertising, promotion and research. The Commission also protects the use of the "Idaho® potato" and "Grown in Idaho®" seals, which are federally registered Certification Marks that belong to the IPC. These Marks ensure that consumers are purchasing potatoes that have been grown in the state of Idaho. For more information, visit www.idahopotato.com.

# # #