The potato is regarded as the third most important food crop in the world after rice and wheat in terms of human consumption. According to the International Potato Center (CIP) in Lima, Peru, more than a billion people worldwide are estimated to eat potatoes – about one in seven.
CIP points out that potatoes can grow from sea level up to 4,700 meters above sea level; from the southern tip of Chile to Greenland in the north. One hectare of potato can yield two to four times the food quantity of grain crops. Potatoes produce more food per unit of water than any other major crop, and are up to seven times more efficient in using water than cereals.
In an article in the launch issue of the new print magazine, Global Potato News, the latest FAOSTAT data is published related to the top 25 potato producing countries in the world, and also the top 20 global exporters of frozen potatoes. Click here to access the article in pdf format.
