Click here to view the video interview with USA Rice's Asiha Grigsby (center) and Paty Benavides (right)
Mar 28, 2018
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO -- Last week, USA Rice Vice President International Sarah Moran, Manager Asiha Grigsby, and local contractors Gaby Carbajal and Marvin Lehrer met for a review of promotional activities in this, the largest export market for U.S. rice. Last year, the United States maintained a total import market share of 87 percent for paddy rice and 78 percent overall, and USA Rice’s promotion programs are successfully advancing the appeal of U.S. origin rice to Mexican consumers.
USA Rice visited the Agricultural Trade Office at the U.S. Embassy where they met with Julio Maldonado, deputy director and Lourdes Castellanos, marketing specialist. They were joined by representatives of the U.S. Rice Producers Association for a lively discussion of future promotional activities and the rice trade in Mexico.
USA Rice then conducted a detailed review of recent activities that focused largely on the educational opportunities with Mexican consumers.
“The Mexican population is not typically accustomed to eating rice as a main element in their dishes,” said Lehrer. “But the average age of Mexican consumers is 28-years old, so there is still time to educate and influence these potential buyers on the nutritional benefits, economic value, and versatility of rice thus increasing the appeal and ultimately the market share of U.S.-grown rice.”
USA Rice also organized a meeting of over 50 partners that regularly collaborate on our marketing activities. The success of a recent social media campaign that partnered with a known food blogger and generated considerable consumer interest was reviewed and, based on results from the data analytics, a larger scale partnership will be implemented for 2019.
The group also reviewed the more than 75 cooking demonstrations conducted last year at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores around Mexico, and also discussed the 60 customer cook-offs that generated rice-based dishes featured in one of three new USA Rice cookbooks published in 2017.
At a local Walmart and Sam’s Club, Chef Gabriel Saucedo explained how USA Rice conducts cooking demonstrations as well as the importance of U.S. rice product placement around the stores.
The TV program Sabor, Olor, y Sazón, hosted by acclaimed media personality Paty Benavides, created more than 240 hours of TV segments featuring demonstrations of easy rice recipes by famous chefs from prominent restaurants in Mexico City, such as Chef Azari of Balmori Rooftop Bar.
On Friday, Grigsby, who is fluent in Spanish, appeared on EK-TV, where she talked with Benavides about the transformation of U.S. rice into dishes by top chefs in Mexico and upcoming USA Rice promotional activities for 2018. Her interview, uploaded and tagged on USA Rice Mexico social media platforms, was punctuated with step-by-step cooking tutorials by a professional chef demonstrating home techniques.
After three full days of tours, tastings, and TV, the USA Rice team concluded their Mexico trip with a visit to Truerel Restaurant in Polanquito. There, Executive Chef Jose Miguel Garcia, a former 2008 winner of a USA Rice sponsored student chef competition, served two delicious paellas. Chef Garcia credits that competition as a big factor in his eventual success landing his position at one of the more renowned restaurants in the national capital.
A popular saying in Spanish, appropriate for such a successful Mexico trip where U.S. rice was the obvious star definitely applies: “Barriga llena, corazón contenta.” In other words, “Full belly, happy heart!”