Following is information from the United States Potato Board concerning Nielsen Scantrak Report for the supermarket third quarter of 2008.
FRESH
Universal Product Code (UPC) pounds declined 8.7 percent versus a year ago, but price per pound rose 33.7 percent. This increase is 16 cents per pound, raising the average price per pound to $0.63, significantly above the previous all-time high of $0.50 per pound, posted in 2000. The result was a 22.0 percent increase in fresh dollar volume for the period.
The biggest loser was the 10-pound size, which accounted for 60.1 million pounds of the total 65.3 million pound loss.
On the other hand, the biggest winner was the under 4 pound products; the only category to gain pounds (an increase of 3.4 million pounds) with a share of total pounds of 5.3 percent, up from 4.4 percent one year ago.
Yellows, premiums and organics continued to gain with a combined pound share of 1.3 percent versus 0.8 percent a year earlier.
All regions were down in pounds except the Pacific, which posted a 3.5 percent increase.
CHIPS
Dollar sales grew 10.5 percent, but pounds declined 4.3 percent, with price per pound up significantly-52 cents to $3.92 per pound. This was the fifth straight period of record high prices since 2000.
Only the New England area posted a volume gain, 0.9 percent, with a relatively modest price per pound increase of 33 cents per pound. Even so, New England was selling at $3.91 per pound, right at the national average.
DEHY
Pound and dollar volume both grew for the quarter-6.1 percent and 8.1 percent, respectively. Price per pound was up a modest 6 cents per pound. Volume was up in all regions except New England and West North Central.
FROZEN
Dollars grew 7.5 percent while pounds declined 0.4 percent with price per pound up 11 cents to $1.44, a 7.9 percent price increase. Regional results were mixed, ranging from a decline of 2.9 percent in the East South Central region to an increase of 2.3 percent in the West South Central region.
REFRIGERATED
Price per pound was steady-a 1 cent increase to $2.06-with pounds increasing to 1.1 percent, and dollars increasing 1.7 percent. These increases were driven by refrigerated mashed increases (dollars grew 5.8 percent and pounds grew 4.7 percent). Price per pound grew 2 cents to $2.14.
Mashed accounted for 70 percent of the total refrigerated pound volume in this quarter. Pound volume was up in six of the nine regions. By region, pound volume ranged from an increase of 7.5 percent in the South Atlantic, to a decrease of 12.9 percent in the Pacific, which had a relatively large price per pound increase of 16 cents to $2.63.