Processed potato has overtaken fresh potato in terms of output and turnover.

Between 1995 and 2005 processed potato output rose from five million tonnes to over 10 and the value of these transactions doubled from 2,000 million dollars to almost 4,000. Fresh potato was worth less than 2,500 million dollars for an output of just under 10 million tonnes.
These trade figures highlight another clear trend in the sector: fresh potato consumption in developed countries has been decreasing for over a decade. The strong demand for fast food, snacks, and prepared products has driven annual growth in the processing industry and has been caused by social change brought about by the growth in urban populations with increasingly less time to cook.
Potato production in developed countries, and Europe in particular, has decreased by an average of 1% in the last 20 years. In contrast, developing countries maintain an annual 5% growth rate, mainly in China and India. These two countries are responsible for 30% of the world’s potato production (China, 22% and India, 8%).