As part of the Ontario Produce Marketing Association’s (OPMA) food waste reduction initiative, Value Chain Management International (VCMI) worked with EarthFresh Foods and growers to identify ways to reduce waste by increasing the quality and value of table potatoes, from field to consumer.
The case study, the first of four being developed during the project, describes how tools and techniques presented at workshops hosted by OPMA help businesses reduce all types of waste. Examples of what is achievable from proactively managing the determinants of quality and value include the fact that a 29 percent increase in pack-out rate equates to a 74 percent increase in grower margin. On a 50,000-pound load of potatoes, this amounts to a $6,000 ($4,657 USD) increase in grower returns.
The case study describes causes found to influence the production, handling, storage and grading/packing of table potatoes, and how these causes can be managed to enable table potatoes to be marketed strategically. This results in producers and downstream businesses having the opportunity to increase revenues and reduce costs in ways that are not otherwise possible.
“EarthFresh is very pleased with the results of the OPMA potato study undertaken in cooperation with Value Chain Management International,” says Tom Hughes, president of EarthFresh. “We feel that everyone can improve their potato operations in some way. This study shows how important it is to try to do even the little things correctly and that, if you succeed, the rewards can be very substantial.
The full cast study can be viewed here.
Source: Potato News Today