Japan Frozen Potato Imports Rising

WASHINGTON - Nov 15/05 - SNS -- Japan's imports of frozen potato products is expected to maintain its recent upward momentum through the 2005-06 marketing year, believes the U.S. agricultural attache for the country.

This is positive news for exporters in the United States, who ship over 40% of their exportable surplus to Japan, and retained a 79% share of Japan's market in 2004, up from 73% in 2003.

The frozen potato fry market is closely tied to the performance of the fast food restaurants and amusement parks in Japan. Sales of frozen potato fries in Japan are also impacted by weather conditions during the long vacation season. Annually, there are three peak periods of demand for frozen potato fries: 1) Golden week in late April and early May; 2) summer vacation season in late July and August; and 3) The New Year vacation season in early January.

Favorable weather conditions during vacation seasons in 2004-05 did much to influence the improved sales performance. A special event, the Aichi Expo 2005, open from March through September this year, also influenced the upswing in fried potato sales. The Expo had more than 22 million visitors during its exhibition in Nagoya, Japan.

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