The Country That Produces The Most Potatoes In The World
When you think of potatoes, you might draw connections to several different countries. For the United States, you might think of Idaho and its notable potato crops. For many countries in Eastern Europe, you might think of famous potato-based recipes such as pierogi (and spirits like potato vodka). But do you think of China? It might surprise you that the country responsible for producing the most potatoes in the world is, indeed, China.
According to a survey conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in 2022, the mainland of China is the top producer of potatoes, although potatoes can grow in all regions of the country. There are four main regions in China where potatoes are planted. Per another FAO report, North China makes up 47% of total planting area, Southwest China makes up 38%, South China comes in at 8%, and Central China makes up 7%.
How many potatoes are cultivated in China each year? According to the FAO, roughly 95.5 million tons of potatoes. Following China are India with approximately 56 million tons, Ukraine with 21 million tons, the Russian Federation with 19 million tons, and the United States with 18 million tons. China exports its potatoes to places such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Singapore.
How did potatoes become such an important crop?
Following the Great Chinese Famine, which occurred between 1959 and 1961 and is considered one of the deadliest famines in human history, China began upping its potato production. After all, growing potatoes is a great way to combat food insecurity and an important step to take to ensure famine doesn't occur again.
By 1993, China was at the head of international potato production due to technological advancements, per the research organization CGIAR. According to the FAO, by 2004, the first organic potato production site was established in Heilongjiang. Wuchuan County is currently the largest of all the organic potato producers in China.
Potatoes have been part of Chinese cooking for hundreds of years, but they are playing a more important role in cuisine as Western-influenced fast food-style restaurants become more ubiquitous. According to USA Today, many older Chinese folks say they are sick of potatoes after having eaten a lot of them as children, and elite chefs sometimes associate potatoes with "peasant food." But potatoes in the form of french fries are popular, and ways to use potatoes continue to be explored. If you've got them, you've got to use them!