Calbee and Shiretoko Shari Cooperative Collaborate to Develop a Stable Supply of Processing Potatoes
Recently, Calbee, Inc. and the Shiretoko Shari Agricultural Cooperative announced that they had inked a fundamental agreement to build and run a frozen potato processing facility as well as to establish a reliable source of spuds supply.
About 19% of Japan’s domestic potato production is used by the Calbee Group. The Calbee Group will be able to purchase up to 40,000 tons of raw potatoes each year thanks to this deal. This is a big step toward the company’s target of having more than 400,000 tons of potatoes grown in the country by 2030.
It is anticipated that switching to growing potatoes from other crops will increase the profitability of JA Shiretoko Shari’s growers.
To gain a presence in the frozen food industry, especially through its well-known ‘Poteriko’ potato products, JA Shiretoko Shari will also construct a new frozen processing facility that the Calbee Group will run. By working together, JA Shiretoko Shari and the Calbee Group hope to establish a reliable potato sales channel and support local job growth.
As of this announcement, the joint investment is expected to total approximately USD133.6m. Once completed, the facility operation will be entrusted to the Calbee Group, with plans to commence operations within the fiscal year 2027.
“Together, the Calbee Group and JA Shiretoko Shari will leverage each other’s strengths to develop a sustainable supply source for raw materials and support agricultural development in the region of Hokkaido,” according to a recent report.
