China grows most potatoes in world

BEIJING - China has become the world's largest potato producer, accounting for 25 percent of global production, official data showed on Wednesday.

The country grew 5.6 million hectares of potato in 2014, yielding in excess of 95 million tons, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

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 tons of soybean and 19.5 million tons of rice, wheat and corn, up 12.7 percent and 33.8 percent, respectively.

With a shortage of farmland in China, the ministry stressed that it is difficult to improve the yield of wheat and rice but easier with potatoes.