one potato, two potato

The average American eats nearly 61kg of potatoes a year. Fuel is the main expense in planting and harvesting, and the country's potato heartland, Idaho, is far from the big coastal markets. So fuel prices are a Big Deal for this crop. The American demand for spuds has been going down, causing a decline in production. The resulting rise in prices has partly, but not fully, offset the increased costs of production and transport.

[Source: The Economist, March 25-31 2006, page 51.]

What happens to potatoes in Idaho will have far-reaching impacts. According to the Idaho Potato Commission:

Idaho grows more potatoes than any other U.S. growing region, annually producing about 30 percent of U.S. fall production. The state's production total is 12 billion pounds. Potatoes contribute $2.5 billion or 15 percent of Idaho's gross state product. Potatoes contribute 6.8 percent of southwest Idaho economy, 27.4 percent of south central Idaho's economy, and 32.8 percent of eastern Idaho's economy. SOURCE: University of Idaho