Beijing, July 29 (IANS): China has become the world's largest potato producer, accounting for 25 percent of global production, official data said on Wednesday.
The country grew 5.6 million hectares of potato in 2014, yielding in excess of 95 million tonnes, Xinhua news agency reported.
China's potato acreage makes the crop the country's fourth staple after rice, wheat and corn.
Last year, despite enjoying the 11th consecutive year of bumper grain harvests, the country still imported 71.4 million tonnes of soybean and 19.5 million tonnes of rice, wheat and corn, up 12.7 percent and 33.8 percent respectively.
With a shortage of farmland in China, it is difficult to improve the yield of wheat and rice but easier with potatoes.