The Role Of Potatoes In Idaho'S Economy

Idaho is famous for its potatoes for good reasons. The state's potato industry is an outstanding example of how natural resources, production. technology, and marketing expertise can be combined to develop a thriving industry. Forty years ago Maine was the number one potato state, and Idaho produced only 16 percent of the U.S. crop. Idaho's share has steadily increased since then (fig. 1) and continues to grow. In the 1990s Idaho is clearly the number one producer, growing nearly 30 percent of the nation's crop. EXP-75