Pakistan Joins the Ranks of the World’s Top Ten Potato Producers
Published on: March 6, 2024.
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Pakistan Emerges as Top-Ten Global Potato Producer
Pakistan has made a significant stride in agricultural production by entering the list of the world’s top ten potato producers. Over the past three years, the country’s potato yield has witnessed a remarkable increase, with production rising by over 35% from 5.87 million tonnes in 2020-21 to an estimated 8.01 million tonnes in 2022-23. This achievement can be attributed to the expansion of cultivation areas and the adoption of improved farming practices. As the potato harvest season draws to a close, Pakistan is projected to reap another bumper crop of over eight million tonnes.
In the global potato production rankings for 2022, China claimed the top spot with a harvest of 95.6 million tonnes, followed by India with 56.1 million tonnes. Ukraine, Russia, and the USA rounded out the top five, while Germany, Bangladesh, and France also featured in the top ten. Pakistan secured the ninth position.
Official data for 2022-23 reveals that potatoes were cultivated on nearly 0.330 million hectares, resulting in a total production of 7.94 million tonnes. This represents a 1.9% increase over the previous year and a striking 31.8% increase over the target.
Potatoes have emerged as one of the high-yielding cash crops in Pakistan, following wheat, rice, and maize. The crop has gained economic importance in the country, with a rapid increase in the area under cultivation. However, the average yield still lags behind global standards at 23 tonnes per hectare.
Despite this, progressive farmers in Pakistan have managed to double the average yield, highlighting the potential for a significant increase in per-hectare yield with the right focus and resources.
Source: [24newshd.tv](https://www.24newshd.tv)
