US: Red potatoes bucking trend, experiencing rise in sales

While potato industry officials say 2015 was a slower year for sales of fresh Maine potatoes, one variety did buck the trend — red potatoes. Of the more than 20 varieties of potatoes planted by growers across the state, the russet burbank is the most popular. But the fresh potato category finished 2015 with sales volume down 2.2 percent overall and the largest-selling russet burbank down 3.2 percent, according to Nielsen FreshFacts data. Red potato varieties however, finished the year slightly ahead with volume rising 0.4 percent. Red potatoes rang up 23.3 percent of all fresh potato dollars, and accounted for 26.8 percent of all units of fresh potatoes sold, according to Nielsen. Don Flannery, executive director of the Maine Potato Board, said recently that he was not surprised to hear about the popularity of red potatoes growing. More