US: Washington State potatoes net state $7.42B annually

The Washington potato industry contributes $7.42 billion to the state’s economy, a recent study from the Washington State Potato Commission finds. The study was conducted for the commission by Washington State University’s IMPACT Center. The study examined the economic output from the state’s potato farming, frozen potato processing, fresh packed potatoes, dehydrated potato products and potato chip manufacturing sectors. “I knew potatoes were a big thing in Washington State — we grow them big and they have a big economic impact,” said Chris Voigt, executive director of the commission.