With regards to all of our favourite potato dishes, we largely have China to thank. Based on the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, China utterly leads the pack in potato manufacturing. The nation produced a whopping 78 million tons of the vegetable in 2020, with the second-place finisher, India, producing solely 51 million tons. We’re not doing too shabby right here in America, with about 19 million tons produced in 2020, however that also leaves us within the fifth spot after Ukraine and Russia.
Unsurprisingly, the remainder of the world depends closely on China’s potatoes. Based on WorldAtlas, their crop makes up about 25% of the world’s provide, and demand for Chinese language potatoes has solely elevated in the previous few years. However inside China’s borders, potatoes are a helpful commodity as properly. The typical Chinese language individual eats about 40 kilograms of potatoes per yr, Potato Pro notes, and the greens are how many individuals make a residing. Half of the family earnings within the Mongolia and Shanxi provinces comes from promoting potatoes.
However though they dominate the business, Chinese language potato farmers are usually not with out challenges. Based on Spudman, they face difficulties acquiring an enough water provide, rising a wide range of potato varieties, and processing their potatoes.