Potatoes Growing
The Swiss eat an annual average of 43 kilograms of potatoes, prepared in many ways, including French fries, chips, mashed potatoes, au gratin, rösti (fried grated potatoes), boiled whole potatoes and salad. Since the potato was brought to Europe from South-America towards the end of the Middle Ages, it has become an indispensable foodstuff.
On a global level, potatoes are part of the basic plants cultivated for human feeding. With regard to production of protein per time, amount and area, potatoes are superior to any other plant. The protein contained in potatoes is built of essential amino acids which other plants cannot produce. Worldwide cultivation is estimated at roughly 20.3 million hectares. Thus, potatoes come in fourth behind wheat, rice and maize. In 1998, the area cultivated by this labour-intensive crop amounted to just under 15,000 hectares in Switzerland. The yield fluctuates around 700,000 tonnes, but are subject to great variations from one year to the next.
