India is the third-largest potato-producing nation in the world, though the potato-processing industry is in the infancy stages. The processing of potatoes per capita is poor in comparison to the leading nations such as the USA, the UK, France, Canada, and Germany. The industry is undergoing rapid growth in India, and the MNCs are having a conspicuous presence. 

Worldwide Potato distribution and consumption

Potato is grown currently on 20 million farmland hectares and the worldwide potato products represent 366 million tones. The concentrations were the highest and are found in the northern hemisphere temperate zone that has the crop growing during the frost-free period in summer.


Potato is grown mainly as a cash crop and is an important income source. The crop is significant in tropical regions in the Andes highlands, the Rift valley, the African highlands, Southeast Asia, and the Volcanic West Africa Mountains that has the production of potato as a cash crop and for food.

The crop grows in the subtropics during the heat-free period as a winter crop in the Mediterranean region, southern China, and North India. Potato is not the main staple as it is in the tropical lowlands and the temperatures are too high in these areas for tuber growth and development in potato varieties.

Potato is the world’s third most important food crop for human consumption, after rice and wheat, though a large proportion of products in potato are for animal feed and seed. Fresh potato consumption accounts for two-thirds of harvest and nearly 1.3 billion people eat potatoes as a staple food, which accounts for per year, per person over 50 kg, including India and China regions.

Potato Production and Demand Trends 

The potato crop versatility is coupled with an increase in production, across global landscapes in many countries in the last two decades. However, it is unparalleled with the increase as it is driven by the expansion of area and by yield improvements. The global statistics indicate the production of potato shift towards developing countries, especially with the harvested area showing strong production increase such as in Asia and the scale is lower in East Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Potato production in the developing world exceeds the developed world in 2005 for the first time. Thereby it confirms the potatoes' importance by increasing the food, income, and employment source in Asia, Latin America, and Africa.


Increase in potato production

Potato production has increased in the past 60 years. There is an increase in average potato domestic supply in the 1961–1963 period from 7.2 million tonnes to 19.6 million tonnes in 2011–2013, representing a 2% average annual growth rate. The growth rate of potato production in AFR and ASA on an average is over 4% for the same period. Most production is towards human consumption and it highlights a low processing level relatively.

Potato production is on increase in Africa, and it has doubled since 1994 and now exceeds a higher contribution of the crop. In Tanzania, the supply of potatoes tripled in the years 2000 and 2014. On the other hand, in Rwanda, the potato is the crop having its role in national food security. Even Africa is predicted to show a great rise in contributing to local food systems with the demand for potatoes in the urban African zones. The potential production is increasing in the cool annual periods of the south, north, and east continents and the highlands, but also in the Central and West Africa mountains and higher plateaus.

Future growth of potato processing industry

India, Asia, and China are having a steady potato production growth. The countries are showing ambitious growth for future years. The Chinese state for some decades is working to increase the consumption of the national potato, and it promotes cultivation and consumption since 2014 of this tuber. China is the largest potato producer in the world in 1993 and is now accounting for global potato production to almost one quarter and around 28% of cultivated areas.


In china, potato is used for food, in processed forms, and as a vegetable, while the smaller part is for the animal feed. Potato is grown in India in the Indo-Gangetic plain, in rotation with wheat, maize, rice, or as a monoculture. It is both a cash crop and an essential staple. Potato yields have significantly increased in production volumes showing a successful quality seed system, breeding programs, and infrastructure for storage, reducing post-harvest losses. Potato production has expanded in the last decades.

Final thoughts

Potatoes are related to obesity and the increased risks because of glycemic high index that the intake is reduced. However, the lifestyles, the increasing incomes, and the convenience food greater consumption show an increase in the demand for fried potatoes. Yet, when potatoes are over-consumed, results in obesity and overweight, and the fried potato products are taken with serious consideration. Potato is a staple nutritious crop and is a meal component, even in developing countries.

The fried potato that is the potato processing industry offers potato crisps, and French fries are under higher than 100 °C. It has an acrylamide presence, and this component is said to be carcinogenic to humans. Two ways can mitigate acrylamide formation is by removing from raw potatoes the precursors by selecting potato-relevant varieties and managing fertilizer use, storage conditions, and harvest time or by the processing methods reducing the Maillard reaction intensity.

However, it is a challenge for the potato processing industry as reducing sugars is a vital component to reaching the final products, the desirable sensorial properties, such as smell, flavor, taste, color, and texture of French fries or crisps.