Future Growth for Potatoes. Current and emerging trends as drivers to growth and innovation

The research undertaken for this project examines potato growers, packers value add facilities as well as supermarket offerings, across Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong and China.

This project identifies main areas which are driving change within the potato industry. These current challenges facing the fresh potato and fresh value add industries in Australia are identified as consumer behaviour including health, convenience and social responsibility, consumer messaging and the roles of industry bodies as well as product promotion and media influence, current retail strategies used by supermarkets and smaller innovative businesses and current and future trends and opportunities.

Consistent industry-led messaging should be developed around health claims, sustainability and provenance.

Producers need better access to customer information in order to improve their product offering in order to identify and test new innovation opportunities.

Potato producers can position themselves to compete with categories other than vegetables. There are also developing opportunities for potatoes as a base ingredient for ‘meat alternative’ and other products.

The industry is highly competitive and consumer habits and trends quickly evolve, if producers do not recognise future trends drivers and leavers to stay competitive and adapt, it is likely that some producers may be left behind.