Countries on different continents boast high potato harvests, but India and China are the clear leaders.
Potatoes are a staple food in many regions of the world. It ranks fourth in the world for its consumption. Originally from the Andes, Peru and Bolivia, where it is a key part of the traditional Inca diet. The Incas shared potatoes with Spanish explorers in the 16th century, after which the tubers of this vegetable quickly spread throughout Europe.
Then European explorers shared with the peoples they met on their travels in Asia. Today it is one of the most popular crops in the world and is used in many fields, including the production of alcohol, animal feed, frozen food, starch, and fresh potatoes for cooking, baking and frying.
10. Poland, 6.33 million tons per year
In the 1970s, Poland was the second largest potato producer. About half of his harvest was used to feed farm animals, and about a quarter was used for direct consumption.
However, after the fall of the Soviet Union, production declined. This is due to lower prices for potatoes and a reduction in pork production as pigs eat quite a lot of potatoes. Nevertheless, in Poland 6.33 million tons of potatoes are produced annually.
9. Netherlands 6.80 million tons per year
Despite a similar trend towards agricultural consolidation as seen in other European countries, the Netherlands maintains, on average, fewer potato farms than any other country in Europe. This is due to the expansion of the domestic market for convenient frozen foods and most of the Dutch potatoes are grown for processing in nearby factories.
The Netherlands has the highest yields in the world compared to potato fields and is also the world's largest supplier of high quality seed potatoes. Until recently, this country was the largest European exporter of potatoes, when it was surpassed by Germany and France. The Netherlands produces 6.80 million tons per year.
8. France, 6.98 million tons per year
Over the past several decades, the French potato industry has remained relatively unchanged. Despite a slow decline in domestic consumption, potatoes remain the most-produced vegetable in the country. France has also experienced consolidation among farmers and now 22% of producers grow 80% of their crops each year.
7. Bangladesh, 8.60 million tons per year
Over the past few decades, potato production in this country has grown at a very fast pace. This is surprising because Bangladesh has one of the highest population densities in the world at 1,101 people per square kilometer.
As a result, farmland is difficult to find. However, the potato has become an important food for its population and is the third most important food. Bangladesh produces 8.60 million tons per year.
6. Germany, 9.67 million tons per year
The potato first appeared in Germany in the 16th century, but was used exclusively for animal feed before the famine in the 1770s. At that time, the German government began to push the cheap vegetable as a great source of food for the people. Although production in Germany has been gradually declining since the 1960s, the country remains the largest producer in northwestern Europe.
Like many other countries, Germany has experienced a steady consolidation of potato farms over the past few decades. However, the potato cultivation area remains the same. Germany produces 9.67 million tons of potatoes per year.
5. United States of America, 19.84 million tons per year
Potatoes are the leading vegetable crop in the United States, accounting for 15% of all farm vegetable sales. Producing 19.84 million tons per year, more than half of these potatoes are sold for processing into starch, chips, animal feed and other products. The United States exports potatoes to countries such as Japan, Canada and Mexico.
This in turn resulted in a net export value of $ 180 million in 2009. US potato farms are gradually consolidating. In 1974 there were 51,500 farms, but in 2007 there were 15,014. The northern states of Idaho and Washington produce about half of the country's potatoes? thanks to the temperate climate.
4.Ukraine, 22.26 million tons of potatoes per year
Ukraine produces 22.26 million tons of potatoes per year. Historically, Ukrainians have grown potatoes mainly for starch and alcohol production. Potatoes have become a staple of the Ukrainian diet only since the beginning of the 20th century. Today, per capita consumption is 136 kilograms per year, which is one of the highest in the world.
Ukraine contains 30% of the "black soil" in the world, has an exceptionally rich soil type, well suited for agriculture and therefore potato crops should have very high yields there. However, in Ukraine there is a very active fight against pests and diseases of agricultural crops. Individual households are responsible for the cultivation of 97% of Ukrainian potatoes. They sell their crops to large distributors.
3. Russian Federation, 30.20 million tons of potatoes per year
Potato production in Russia declined after the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s as farms ceased to be socialized. In fact, only 13% is produced by agricultural enterprises, while 79% is produced by individual households. These families will either consume their own crops or sell them at local farmers' markets. Due to the northern location of Russia and the cool climate, potato farms are not limited to one area, but are spread throughout the country.
However, more recently, larger operations have moved westward, near Moscow. These large farms are starting to raise enough money to invest in high-tech planting, harvesting and storage equipment. Russia produces about 30.20 million tons of potatoes per year.
2. India, 45.34 million tons of potatoes per year
Potato production in India has increased dramatically since the mid-20th century, increasing 850% from 1960 to 2000. As in China, the industry is growing rapidly in India, giving the middle and upper strata of the population the money to buy a wider variety of foods, including fast foods, where potatoes are the main ingredient.
Per capita consumption of potatoes in India has grown to 17 kg per year, compared to 1990 - 12 kg. India relies mainly on small family farms in the western part of the country to grow potatoes. Since this vegetable requires moderate temperatures during the day and cool temperatures at night to thrive, they are difficult to grow in the south. India produces 45.34 million tons of potatoes per year.
1. China, 88.99 million tons of potatoes per year
The Chinese government is keen to increase potato production in the country, as potatoes are more profitable than other crops such as grains, beans and cotton. However, Chinese potatoes do not have large yields. Despite this, China grows 88.99 million tonnes of potatoes per year, which is 22% of the world's potatoes. Domestic demand for potatoes in China has slowly increased over the past few decades.
Only 10-15% of the crop is used for processing into foods such as chips and frozen fries. But as the middle class grows due to rapid industrialization, potato products are becoming more popular. Most of the Chinese potatoes are grown in the northern and western regions of the country.
Farmers face some challenges, including a shortage of high quality virus-free seeds. As production continues to grow, large farms become more common and small family farms are shifting to other crops.
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