Positive reaction

Consumer research has found positive vibes about the Fresh & Easy stores in the Western U.S., this story reports. From the story from Thompson Financial:

Tesco received a strong positive reaction to its Fresh & Easy convenience chain in the U.S., the Financial Times reported, citing independent research seen by the paper.

The research was compiled following interviews with almost 700 customers outside nine Fresh & Easy stores in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Phoenix. The interviews were carried out by Execution Research, a boutique research house with no corporate relationship with Tesco.

TK: From my informal survey of three shoppers at the Las Vegas Tesco we visited, I concur that there is already an affection for Tesco's quality (freshness) and value.

China: we will have traceability

Snap your fingers and you get a traceability system in China...ah, the benefits of authoritarianism. Anyway, here is a link to a USDA FAS post report from China. From the report:

In a bid to enhance farm product safety, China will adopt a traceability system for agricultural products, according to the third Central-China Investment and Trade Expo recently held in Wuhan. Pilot programs began in 2007 in Shanghai, Wuhan, and Nanning for vegetables, fruit, meat, and fishery products. Under the system, consumers may find information about product origin, production, processing, packaging, and inspection.

Also from the report:

The General Administration of Quality, Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) recently approved Jiuzhou and Hengqin ports of Zhuhai Special Economic Zone as new designated ports to handle imported fruit. Fruit coming from countries like the United States, Chile, Australia, and South Africa can be shipped to these ports directly in the future. (China Inspection and Quarantine Times, 05/08/08)


Other recent FAS reports:

Israel citrus situation

India agricultural situation and hot bites

Potato stocks report

Compared with the April 1 report, which showed stocks up 10% from year ago levels, the May 1 potato stocks report showed proportionally more spuds on hand compared with year ago levels. Here is the summary from the USDA's potato stocks report of yesterday.

Below is the summary for the May 15 potato stocks report:


The 13 major potato States held 92.7 million cwt of potatoes in storage May 1, 2008, up 17 percent from a year ago and 22 percent above May 1, 2006. Potatoes in storage accounted for 23 percent of the 2007 fall storage States' production, up 3 percentage points from last year. Klamath Basin stocks totaled 570 thousand cwt on May 1, 2008, down 5 percent from last year. Klamath Basin stocks include potatoes stored in California and Klamath County, Oregon. Disappearance from the start of harvest to May 1 was at 307 million cwt, 1 percent below last year but up 3 percent from 2006. Shrink and loss, at 23.4 million cwt, was down 3 percent from the same period in 2007 but up 6 percent from 2006. Processors have used 158 million cwt of the 2007 potato crop so far this season, down 3 percent from last year's season-to-date usage but up 6 percent from 2 years ago. Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon total processing decreased 1 percent from a year ago and Maine's total processing was 3 percent below 2007. Washington and the rest of Oregon total processing was 4 percent lower than last season. Dehydrating usage accounted for 33.4 million cwt of the total processing, down 8 percent from last year but 11 percent above the same period in 2006.