"China should gradually adjust its consumption structure," Ke Bingsheng, president of China Agricultural University, said. "We need to develop different potato varieties with distinctive flavors and introduce other processed products that are relevant to modern life."
Major companies will play a key role in doing this. Beijing Hengde Jiahui Equity Investment Co is looking to fund agricultural and food firms focusing on the industry, and has set up a center in Yanqing county in the northern suburb of Beijing.
"China's potato industry will improve significantly in the near future. I found many potato companies are looking to buy advanced technology and equipment, but some need extra funding," Zhou Xiangyang, general manager at Beijing Hengde Jiahui, said.
Bringing in cutting-edge pest control techniques, such as improved pesticides, and upgrading fertilizers will also increase yields.
Advances in technology have improved production in the US, Europe and even Latin America, but China is in danger of falling behind.
"The production and processing technology of potatoes in China is not what it should be compared to other parts of the world, such as Europe and some Latin American countries," Zhou said.
"Expanding planting areas and increasing the yields of potatoes per unit is the next big step. This is recognized by the government, which realizes the importance of potato production, as well as the role of new varieties of products in stores and shops," he added.
Bayer CropScience (China) Co Ltd, which is part of Bayer AG, has seen sales of its pesticides and fertilizers double here in the past three years, without disclosing detailed financial figures.
The company takes a high-tech approach to solving problems such as pest control and potato-related diseases, which will help increase consumer confidence in the product and fuel growth.
"When growing potatoes, the wrong pesticides can damage yields. Disease can also be a problem. So we produce solutions that can keep crops healthy and increase yields," Koen Van den Eynde, horticulture business manager at Bayer CropScience (China), said.
"We have started from a very small base, but there is room for growth here. Chinese consumers are spending more money on high-quality food and vegetables, and this will help drive our business growth," he added.
