OCEANSIDE, CA - Do you smell the smoke of a nearby grill? If you reside in the Northern Hemisphere, the answer is probably yes, as consumers high and low are breaking out their barbeques and cooking up a summer feast. Potatoes are one of the shining stars adorning grill racks, so I was eager to get the latest market insights from Co-Founder and Managing Partner of LIV Organic Produce Anthony Innocenti.

“We are about two weeks away from our first full harvest of the new crop California potatoes and will be transitioning to our Washington crops in the middle of July. Quality and volume on red and yellow potatoes are steady with good supplies,” he began, adding that there has been an abundance of sunshine—an ideal condition for potato crops and outdoor BBQs alike. “We will be seeing a tighter supply of organic Russets until the next crop starts in the northwest in four weeks.”

Anthony stated that current pricing trends are on par with years prior. With a category that can seemingly only continue to grow, stable pricing not only means predictability for retailers, but consistency for the supply chain as a whole.

And, with LIV Organic’s new varietal offering in tow, opportunities abound for buyers as they look to build their produce department sales.

“This year, we will be offering organic Fingerling potatoes in bulk and bagged options to complement our full lineup of organic red, yellow, and Russet potatoes. Consumers will enjoy incorporating this variety into new and diverse seasonal recipes,” Anthony continued.

It sounds to me like the buy-side is well positioned to capture seasonal sales in the potato set, or perhaps, I should say, across the grocery store, as strategic cross-merchandising is sure to turn heads.

So, how do you plan to direct shopper dollars toward the grill? I look forward to finding out.

LIV Organic Produce