"While you see a potato, we see the raw elements of innovation and growth."
Possessing a rich and complex history, the potato is one of the most interesting multi-cultural crops in the world. The origin of potatoes can be traced back to South America where they were first cultivated in the Andes mountains many thousands of years ago. Introduced to Europe in the 16th century, these humble tubers spread like wildfire across Europe and the rest of the world. Today China, Russia and India are the world’s top producers of the potato.
Potatoes are grown as annual plants, with fields planted each spring, and harvested in the fall. Contrary to popular belief, potatoes are not grown from seeds. Special potatoes called "seed potatoes" are cut into pieces and planted in the ground. These potatoes grow stems and roots from the “eyes”.
In northern China, two methods of cultivation are commonly used, furrow planting and hole sowing. Furrows are plowed using animal traction or holes are dug by one farmer who is followed by another placing seed potatoes and fertilizer at regular intervals. This process is followed by a third farmer who applies animal manure and covers the furrows and holes with soil.
As potatoes grow, they must be hilled when the plants are 20 to 30cm high. Hilling is done by covering the base of the plant with soil to prevent the potatoes from exposure to light which causes them to turn green. Soil loosening is later done around each potato plant, to protect against drought and flooding, and to promote tuber bulking.
Potatoes need to be harvested at certain temperatures to maximize the length of time they can be stored. If the temperature is too warm, the pulp may deteriorate before cooling can occur. If the temperature is too cool, the potatoes can be bruised during harvest.
*Information extracted from the World Potato Atlas, International Potato Center
Potato varieties
The International Potato Center in Peru has identified about 5000 different varieties of potato which come in a wide range of colours, shapes and sizes. The most common variety of potato is the brown-skinned with white flesh “Russet Burbank” which is typically grown for French fries and fresh produce.
*Information extracted from the official website for the International Year of the Potato (IYP)
Touted as one of the most valuable food commodities in international trade, the humble spud, with production reaching a record 320 million tonnes in 2007, ranks as the world's fourth most important food crop, after maize, wheat and rice.
Though potato production in developed countries, especially in Europe has steadily declined by one percent per annum over the past 20 years, output in developing countries, especially Asian countries, has expanded at an average rate of five per cent per year.
Many developing countries, particularly China and India, are fuelling the growth with their large export of potatoes, making international potato trade highly competitive. Especially in China, potatoes are considered as a high-valued crop. Demand for potatoes has been growing exponentially whereas other bulk commodities, such as rice and wheat, have seen demand declining.
According to FAO, China is the largest potato producer in the world, with output of 72 million tonnes in 2007. This amount accounts for a whopping 23.3% of the world potato production, surpassing USA's production figures of 6.4%!
The 10 nations listed below grow more than 70% of the global potato crop.
- China … 72 million metric tons (23.3% of global potato production)
- Russia … 37 million metric tons (11.5%)
- India … 25 million metric tons (7.8%)
- United States … 20.5 million metric tons (6.4%)
- Ukraine … 19.5 million metric tons (6.1%)
- Poland … 15 million metric tons (4.7%)
- Germany … 13 million metric tons (4.0%)
- Belarus … 8.5 million metric tons (2.6%)
- Netherlands … 7.5 million metric tons (2.3%)
- France … 7.5 million metric tons (2.3%)
*Based on key statistics from the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (fao.org)
The potato is hailed as one of the most versatile vegetables in the world. Other than the usual plethora of commercial food products potatoes can be processed into, potato starch is also a very important by-product of potatoes. Alongside wheat and maize, the potato is an important supplier of starch. The potato has long been of interest to starch producers as it provides high yields per hectare and possess a high swelling power and viscosity with the largest starch grains.
Since the early 1980s, starch extraction from potatoes has become increasingly prevalent. Besides being used in the food industry, potato is also a crucial component of paper, construction materials, adhesives and many more non-food products.
Forming the basis of numerous applications, particularly in food, paper and textile, potato starch plays a major role as a stabilizer, adhesive, binder and texture agent. For example, in the food industry, potato starch is used as a thickener for sauces and stews, and as a binding agent in cake mixes, dough, biscuits and ice-cream. Potato starch is also widely used by the pharmaceutical, textile, wood and paper industries as an adhesive, binder, texture agent and filler, and by oil drilling firms to wash boreholes.
*Information extracted from International Starch Institute
It is amazing what an unassuming potato can contain. Packing a nutritional punch, potatoes contain low calories and contribute essential nutrients and needed energy to a healthy diet. They are low in sodium, high in potassium and are an important source of complex carbohydrates and vitamins C and B-6, as well as vital minerals such as potassium and iron.
Did you know?
- Compared to grains like rice and wheat, the more drought-resistant potato is best suited to grow in China as 60 per cent of the country's arable land is dry.
- The local farmers in China name the potato as a "life-saving grain" as the crop can produce at least 60 per cent of its normal yield even in dry times.
- In northern China's Inner Mongolia and Shanxi provinces, sales of potatoes account for more than half of rural household earnings.
- According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the world’s biggest potato was grown in Germany in 1997, weighing in at 3.2kg that is the same weight as a small dog.
- The potato is the first food that was ever grown in space as potato plants were taken into space with the space shuttle Columbia in 1995.
- Only one in four potatoes grown in the world actually gets eaten by people. Almost half end up being fed to livestock. The remaining one quarter are used as raw material in the production of alcohol and starch.
*Information extracted from the official website for the International Year of the Potato (IYP)
