Why can the American potato industry be so domineering?

China ranks first in the world in terms of both acreage and total output. However, 90% of potatoes in China are used for fresh food, and their economic value is far from being exerted to the extreme. The United States potato planting area and total output is far less than China, but in the potato world trade to make a lot of money, become the world's most profitable potato use of the country.

According to the statistics of the United States Department of Agriculture, as early as 2004, more than 480,000 hectares of potatoes were planted and harvested in the United States, with a yield of 20.6 billion kilograms and an output value of 2.6 billion US dollars. So how did the U.S. potato industry get bigger and stronger?

I. Laws and standards lay a solid foundation

The United States has legal oversight of products and strict standards for industry. In 1939, the United States introduced the Marketing Promotion Act, according to which the United States established the National Potato Commission, mainly to carry out trade legislation and the settlement of domestic and foreign trade disputes.

Several potato producing states formed potato management committees. According to the Colorado Potato Management Board, their responsibilities are to conduct research on seed potato breeding, disease prevention, nutrition, storage, promotion, promotion and consumption, provide services according to customer needs, and provide relevant government departments with advice on potato legislation. Of course, it is also responsible for supervising the implementation and inspection of technical standards.

Click on the website of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to see that there are hundreds of standards for potatoes in the United States, from seed potatoes to fresh potatoes, from storage to processing, to be tested and certified. All operations are in accordance with FDA and USDA regulations. Each process is inspected by the USDA and all plants comply with HACCP practices to ensure food safety.

Reporters visited two farms and three storage and processing plants in Colorado and Idaho, all of which saw quality inspectors inspecting fresh potatoes and seed potatoes. Fresh potatoes alone had grade 4. The package of products passing inspection is labeled. According to reports, the United States Department of Agriculture inspection of the main potato production area is mandatory, from the beginning of shipment, will go through a series of physiological, biochemical testing. USDA has testing facilities and agricultural organizations in every state. The inspectors are strictly trained by USDA, and only qualified inspectors can take up their posts. The health and hygiene of inspectors are also assessed. Testing standards and procedures for all identical products are uniform to ensure consistent quality. Only qualified products can enter the market. The test process and test results should be archived, and customers can inquire at any time.

The names of companies meeting the full inspection standards can also be found on the USDA website. The USDA has a set of criteria for evaluating companies comprehensively. The list of qualified companies is updated on the basis of inspections.

It is these regulations and strict testing standards that lay the foundation for the development of potatoes in the United States and ensure the standardization and stability of the development of the entire potato industry.

II. Scientific research and technology as backing

Potatoes are grown in all 50 states, but the main producing areas are Colorado, Idaho, Washington, Wisconsin and other 10 Midwestern states. The ideal planting temperature, fertile soil, perfect scientific research system, modern mechanical equipment and professional experience passed down from generation to generation make American potato products outstanding.

Potato cultivation in the United States, according to the different climate and soil conditions of the state, choose to grow potatoes for different purposes. For example, Colorado, because the main production area is in the St. Louis Valley, the environment is isolated from the outside world, and there are few pests and diseases, so seed potatoes and fresh potatoes are mainly planted. Idaho, on the other hand, is dominated by commercial potato production.

The quality and yield of potato depend on seed potato. Colorado's Potato Research Center is located in the St. Louis Valley, where seed potatoes are grown. When we visited, we saw only a dozen small bungalows. I can't believe this is the largest and most important potato research institution in the United States. But the truth is, it's really great.

The research center, part of Colorado State University, focuses on seed potato cultivation, potato pest control, and water-saving, high-yield machinery. According to the director of the research center, the center has only five professors and dozens of auxiliary staff. There are 160 acres of experimental fields, and 475 varieties of seed potatoes have been studied. Seed potato cultivation is mainly carried out from many aspects such as improving yield and resistance to diseases and insect pests, adaptability to external environment, nutrition and quality. Generally, seed potato needs to be studied and cultivated for 16 to 18 years, and the fastest one needs 6 to 8 years. After 5 to 6 generations of breeding, it can be commercialized. However, the seed potato cultivation of the center has formed a benign development, and several new varieties are introduced to the market every year.

Of course, in order to speed up the introduction of new products, the center will sell some first and second generation seed potatoes to seed potato growers. When we visited San Luis Hills Farm, we saw the seed potatoes of the second and third generation of thumb potatoes they planted. These seed potatoes were temporarily not sold, and they had to be planted for two more generations until the yield was high. David Radtke, the owner of the farm, told us that seed potatoes must be certified, and that pesticides used during planting, how many times they were used, when they were used, and when they were stored after harvest should be recorded in detail for inspection.

We also see colored fresh potatoes in supermarkets in the United States for $1.99 a pound, compared to 99 cents for regular potatoes. Therefore, the continuous introduction of new varieties is beneficial to the quality and value of potatoes.

In addition to breeding new varieties of high quality potatoes, the Colorado Potato Research Center is responsible for research and determination of appropriate soil fertilizer and soil pollution reduction, finding different management methods for different varieties, and conducting research on water saving and high yield measures and irrigation methods, the best time to spray pesticides before harvest, and the best crop and potato rotation for soil solid matter preservation. The results of the research are quickly disseminated to growers.

Because Colorado is very dry and receives very little rainfall each year, it relies mainly on groundwater and snow from melting snow mountains for irrigation, so water conservation research is important. In the past, they have been using mobile sprinklers to mix fertilizer and water. Now the research center has found through experiments that drip irrigation using fertilizer in pipes can not only save water by 30%, but also has better results, and is now being promoted to growers.

Potato growers in the United States mechanize their operations from planting to harvesting and storage. We can see that since the potato vine has been killed by spraying 26 days before harvest, only the walking harvester can be seen in the distance. After harvest, the potato is directly input into the truck and pulled to the warehouse. The potato on the truck is directly sent to the warehouse for storage through the conveyor belt. The efficiency is very high, which is quite different from that of Chinese people digging horses.

Strong scientific research force and high mechanization have become the strong backing for the development of American potatoes.

Third, multi-channel deep processing to improve added value

Deep processing is an extension of the industrial chain. Modern deep processing is an important part of the appreciation of American potatoes. According to the USDA, potato use in the United States in 2004 was: 37% of frozen potato products (e.g., frozen fries, potato buns, potato rings, handmade fries, potato wedges, and frozen whole potatoes);32% fresh potato products (e.g., baked, boiled, or mashed potatoes);12% potato chips (including straight fries);12% dehydrated potatoes and potato starch (extruded potato chips, potato cakes, mashed potatoes, and canned stews);6% seed potatoes;1% canned potatoes (e.g., small potatoes, stews, soups, chowders, and potato salads).

According to statistics, the output and consumption of potato processed products in the United States accounts for about 76% of the total output, and there are hundreds of potato foods. In supermarkets, potato foods can be seen everywhere. There are about 300 enterprises producing potato chips in the country, and the average consumption of potato food per person is 60 kg per year. In addition, it will be processed into starch, feed and alcohol, etc., and the processing amount has accounted for about 85% of potato production. At present, there are hundreds of varieties of processed products based on potatoes in the United States. It can be said that from eating to using, you can see potato processed products everywhere.

Potato processing in the United States begins with the sale of fresh potatoes. Many growers harvest and process them into fresh potatoes in various packages according to the seller's requirements. Idaho is a major producer of processed potatoes, and our visit to Dale Mickelsen in Ridgeby was an eye-opener. This company integrates planting and deep processing. They grow 7000 hectares of potatoes, produce more than 100 million kilograms of potatoes, and process 750,000 kilograms of fresh potatoes every day. We arrived at the busiest time of the year, with 50 workers per shift and two shifts. Potatoes from the truck directly into the processing line for cleaning, and then run to the automatic sorting system, after photo sorting, different sizes of potatoes automatically into different production lines. Some do quick-frozen potatoes, some put them into pockets to make French fries and potato chips. The products sold as fresh potatoes must be manually screened once and then packaged according to different requirements of customers. From entering the production line to the completion of the entire packaging as long as more than 20 minutes, the high efficiency is amazing.

The company also produces potato bowls, chips, mashed potatoes and frozen potatoes for the domestic market, as well as for Japan and South Korea. The host invited us to taste all the products, some of which were produced to the local taste requested by the importer and, frankly, quite good. Four potato bowls with stuffing, which are actually half potatoes, can sell for $4 to $5. The economic benefits of deep processing can be seen.

At present, various food research institutions and potato processors in the United States are also complying with people's requirements for healthy eating, experimenting with the best ratio of taste and fat content of potato food, and reducing fat content while ensuring delicious taste. Solving consumer concerns, increasing sales of potato products, and maximizing profits are the eternal goals of American processors.

IV. The Association is the Pioneer of Propaganda and Promotion

There are various agricultural associations in the United States, and these associations have become pioneers in product promotion and promotion. The American Potato Association is one of them.

The American Potato Board (USPB) was founded in 1972 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, initially by potato growers to promote the edible benefits of potatoes. The American Potato Association represents the interests of more than 6000 potato growers and operators in the United States. The Association operates as a corporation, electing a chairman and 104 directors each year to oversee the work of the President of the Association. The association is funded primarily by potato growers, who contribute 2.5 cents per pound in proportion to sales. For training, seminars or extension activities, applications can be made to the United States Department of Agriculture for government funding.

The American Potato Association, which has 25 offices around the world, is also highly staffed and active in recent years. It was one of the first organizations to develop a nutritional value table for commodities and obtain approval from the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Food and Drug Administration. The American Potato Association has been working to educate consumers, retailers, and culinary professionals about the benefits, nutrition, and versatility of potatoes by fostering consumer public relations, nutrition education, retail point events, and foodservice marketing and export programs.

We also see that the Potato Association is very focused on promoting potato cooking methods to industry services. They established close ties with culinary research institutions and food producers in the United States to develop new recipes for potatoes and funded the Culinary Institute of America to train chefs to cook various potato dishes. This year, the American Potato Association launched an educational campaign to educate consumers about the extraordinary nutritional value of potatoes.

The American Potato Association's goal is to promote the potato's health image through public relations, promote its nutritional value, provide recipes, encourage people to eat more, and promote it to retailers. In addition, through innovation, expand the application range of potato products.

In recent years, the American Potato Association has made Asia an important market in its international promotion programs, with 75% of its total promotion funds spent in Asia. The association has offices in Beijing and Shanghai, and dozens of seminars were held in China last year alone. It is because of the association's relentless marketing and training that more and more people are aware of the advantages of American potatoes. It should be said that the American potato industry can continue to grow and become more and more famous, thanks to the American Potato Association.

Some experts predict that in the next 10 years, the global potato production will increase at an annual rate of 2.02%, and it is expected that by 2020, the global potato production will increase from the current 300 million tons to more than 400 million tons. Asia, especially Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America will become the hot spots for potato development in the world because of population increase, potato crop advantages, food supply crisis and economic development. As a potato power, should China also do something?

V. Production of high-quality potatoes and dehydrated potatoes is second to none

The potato is of high economic and nutritional value. There is no shortage of American potatoes all year round. Growers supply processors with high-quality potatoes all year round, including early-harvest orkitahs and Shepodys varieties and late-maturing Russet Burbanks varieties. American potatoes for processing must be high in solids and low in sugar. The so-called "solid content" refers to the dry matter content of potatoes. The "solids content" determines how much water needs to evaporate during dehydration and how much oil the potato absorbs during frying.

The United States is recognized not only as the country with the highest yield of fresh and frozen potatoes, but also as the world's leader in dehydrated potato production. Because the American variety of potato is fat and strong, it makes the world's longest fries, which also leads to better productivity and higher profits. U.S. processors use the finest raw potatoes, in fact, they use ingredients that average more than 21 percent total solids. Special technologies such as automatic de-contamination and inspection systems have been adopted to minimize discoloration and spotting of French fries.

Dehydrated potatoes are very popular in the United States. Manufacturers first select first-class white meat varieties of potatoes, which taste and taste excellent. Only ripe, fruity, intact potatoes are selected for dehydrated potato products, and no substandard or other residues from the production process are used. There are many kinds of dehydrated potato products, including diced potatoes, potato chips, potato shreds, mashed potatoes, potato grains, potato flour and frozen dehydrated potatoes.