Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
0
Fig. 3.2.
World total exports of frozen potato products, 2000-2011. (From US Census Bureau, Foreign
Trade Statistics.)
emerging and developing markets, which are
distanced from concentrations of processing po-
tato capacity in sections of the European Union
(EU) and North America (USDA-FAS, 2011). To
satisfy demand for processed products, the
frozen potato export market is likely to become
increasingly important to the USA, Canada, and
select EU countries, including Belgium and the
Netherlands.
Belgium is one of the world's largest manu-
facturers and exporters of frozen potato products
(FAO, 2008d). These factors, in combination
with high per capita consumption, put Belgium
on top as the largest importer of fresh potatoes in
fluctuate in negative correlation with domestic
production. In 2010, when persistent drought
conditions reduced the local harvest an estimated
25-
40%, Russia imported the second highest dol-
lar value of potatoes (PotatoPro, 2010; FAOSTAT,
2013). As potato production in Europe declines
and demand for processed potato products re-
mains strong, both domestically and in export
markets, European countries may increase im-
ports of processing and table-stock potatoes.
For several decades, the Netherlands has re-
mained a major potato producing country and
the world's top potato exporting country (in terms
of value) (
Table 3.4
). Assisted by favorable growing
conditions, access to major shipping channels,
and diversity in potato varieties, US$790 million
worth of seed, fresh, and processed potatoes were
exported in 2010 (USDA-FAS, 2013).
Other European countries including France,
Germany, and Belgium are ranked among the
top ten potato exporters (by dollar value). These
EU members harvest substantial production
volumes, which serve to increase the supply
available for fresh sales, processing, and export-
ation. In France, exports include a sizeable
amount of seed potatoes, while Germany and
Belgium export relatively more processed pota-
toes (FAO, 2008d). Canada and the USA fre-
quently rank among the top five exporting coun-
tries, due to the combination of sales abroad of
processed, fresh, and seed potatoes.
For more than a decade, China has ranked
as the world's largest producer of potatoes. His-
torically, however, the country has not enjoyed
similar status as a top exporter. For example, in
2000, China did not rank among the top
20
po-
tato exporters, and only occasionally appeared
on top ten lists during the 1990s. In the last dec-
ade, Chinese production expansions have sup-
ported growth in potato export activities. In
2011, China was ranked as the tenth largest po-
tato exporting nation (in value terms), a remark-
able rise in prominence in a relatively short
period (
Table 3.4
) (FAOSTAT, 2013).
3.6
Fresh and Processed Products
Potatoes are marketed in one of seven broad
product categories. Seed variety selection, man-
agement practices, weather, relative prices, and
other micro and macro market and environ-
mental conditions determine the suitability of a
given producer's crop to a specific market. Prior
to planting, producers will determine whether
they are growing potatoes for one or more of
