Oct 10, 2017Michigan tops nation for chipping potatoes
The Michigan business news site Crain’s Detroit Business has reported that Michigan has produced the most chipping potatoes out of any state in the country.
Since the early 1990s, an increase in quality has led Michigan chipping potatoes to increase in popularity.
Michigan potato chip facts
- Michigan has 76 potato farms producing more than 1.87 billion pounds of potatoes.
- Michigan potatoes account for 25 percent of the chips consumed in the U.S.
- 70 percent of the state’s potatoes are used to make chips.
- The chip market sector brings $554 million to the state’s economy.
From Crain’s Detroit Business:
Michigan potatoes account for 25 percent of the chips consumed in the United States; 70 percent of the state’s potatoes are used to make chips. Frito-Lay, the largest chip company in the world, gets 40 percent of Michigan’s potatoes.
According to Michael Wenkel, executive director of the Michigan Potato Industry Commission, by the late 1990s, Michigan became the top state for producing potato chips.
Through the commission, 24 farms work with researchers at Michigan State University, funding projects with scientists. For every hundred pounds grown, 5.5 cents is assessed to growers which is used for research, education and promotion activities.
Farmers grow up to 25 varieties of potatoes. Snowden, Lamoka and Manistee are ideal for storage. As a result, Michigan is able to ship potatoes 10 months a year.
