CountriesEuropeBelarus
Country dossier · #23 world producer
Belarus
Highest per-capita consumption in FAOSTAT, with area down 62% since 2010
- 3.11 MtProduction · FAOSTAT 2024
- #23World rank · FAOSTAT 2024
- 4.36 MtPeak 2018–24 · 2019
- −28.4%Change since 2018 · FAOSTAT
Production, 2018–2024
Million tonnes · FAOSTAT QCLSource: FAOSTAT QCL, item 116 (potatoes). World rank computed from the same 2024 series.
Belarus Potato Industry: The World's Highest Consumption, on 62% Less Area
Belarusians eat about 167 kg of potatoes a year each, the highest figure in FAOSTAT, but the harvest has fallen from 7.83 million tonnes in 2010 to 3.11 million in 2024 as the area under potato shrank by 62 percent.
- Production (FAOSTAT 2024): 3.11 million tonnes
- Area harvested (2024): 141,000 ha
- Yield (2024): 22.1 t/ha
- Production 2010: 7.83 million tonnes
- Food supply (FAOSTAT 2023): 166.9 kg per person
- Fresh exports (2024): 68,900 t, $20.6M
Belarus produced 3.11 million tonnes of potatoes in 2024 (FAOSTAT), ranking 23rd in the world, from 141,000 hectares at 22.1 tonnes per hectare. Production has fallen 60 percent since 2010 and area 62 percent, while yields have stayed between about 19 and 25 t/ha. Consumption is the world's highest in FAOSTAT's food balance sheets at 166.9 kg per person in 2023.
In this article (5 sections)▾
How much does Belarus produce?
Belarus harvested 3.11 million tonnes in 2024 from 141,000 hectares, a yield of 22.1 t/ha. In 2010 it harvested 7.83 million tonnes from 366,766 hectares.
- Production 2010: 7.83 Mt
- Production 2019: 4.35 Mt
- Production 2023: 4.02 Mt
- Production 2024: 3.11 Mt (-22.6%)
| Year | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mt | 4.35 | 4.36 | 3.71 | 3.40 | 3.86 | 4.02 | 3.11 |
| YoY | — | +0.2% | -14.9% | -8.2% | +13.3% | +4.2% | -22.6% |
The long decline is one of area. Harvested area fell from 366,766 hectares in 2010 to 266,700 in 2015, 188,100 in 2019 and 141,000 in 2024. Yields moved within a narrow band (19.2 t/ha in 2015, 23.2 in 2019, 22.1 in 2024), so output followed area down. FAO's earlier record shows Belarus at 8.7 million tonnes on 412,000 hectares in 2007, eighth among world producers. In 2024 production fell a further 22.6 percent from 2023, on 13.5 percent less area and a 10.6 percent lower yield.
Source: FAOSTAT (QCL production series, trade matrix, food balance sheets). 2007 figure: FAO, Potato World (International Year of the Potato, 2008).
Why is Belarusian consumption the highest in the world?
FAOSTAT's food balance sheet gives 166.9 kg per person in 2023, the highest of any country in its ranking, ahead of Ukraine and Russia.
Potato is deeply embedded in Belarusian culture and cuisine. Feed use is large: 1.13 million tonnes in 2023, against 2.13 million tonnes in 2015. Industrial processing is small by comparison, at 52,000 to 70,000 tonnes a year in the years FAOSTAT reports it.
| Food balance item (FAOSTAT 2023) | Value |
|---|---|
| Food supply per person | 166.87 kg a year (about 300 kcal a day in 2015-2019) |
| Feed use | 1.13 million tonnes (28% of production) |
| Losses | 203,000 tonnes |
| Processing | 52,000 to 70,000 tonnes a year, 2015-2020 |
Source: FAOSTAT (QCL production series, trade matrix, food balance sheets).
What has happened to Belarus's potato trade?
Fresh exports fell from 298,000 tonnes in 2022 to 68,900 tonnes in 2024.
Russia lists Belarus among its main import sources, with Egypt and Azerbaijan. The FAOSTAT trade matrix records the fall in Belarus's exports but gives no reason, and none is asserted here.
| Year | Exports (tonnes) | Export value | Imports (tonnes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 360,600 | $57.4M | 16,200 |
| 2021 | 242,700 | $67.7M | 33,600 |
| 2022 | 298,400 | $90.2M | 23,400 |
| 2023 | 85,100 | $23.7M | 7,700 |
| 2024 | 68,900 | $20.6M | 3,100 |
Source: FAOSTAT (QCL production series, trade matrix, food balance sheets). Russia import sources: FAOSTAT.
Seed system, varieties and processing
Three points are on the record, and several are not.
Belarus's Ministry of Agriculture and Food is responsible for seed production, variety testing, and plant quarantine and protection. During the Soviet period Belarus bred improved potato varieties that were grown across the country. National statistics report output by farm type, including household plots.
Not sourced for this profile: a regional production breakdown, the current share of certified seed, the main commercial varieties and starch or snack processing volumes. These will be added when official figures are on file.
Source: Belstat (National Statistical Committee of Belarus); FAO assessments of the agriculture sector in Eastern Europe.
What challenges does Belarus face?
The record points to structural area decline and a smaller export base.
Area has fallen every year of the 2010s, and the 2024 drop in both area and yield cut production to its lowest point in the FAOSTAT series shown here. Exports lost most of their volume between 2022 and 2023. With consumption this high, falling output makes the balance between food, feed and trade a live question; FAOSTAT shows imports at only 3,100 tonnes in 2024.
Source: FAOSTAT (QCL production series, trade matrix, food balance sheets).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much potato does Belarus produce?+
Belarus produced 3.11 million tonnes in 2024 from 141,000 hectares, a yield of 22.1 tonnes per hectare (FAOSTAT). In 2010 it produced 7.83 million tonnes.
Which country eats the most potatoes per person?+
Belarus, at 166.9 kg per person in 2023 in FAOSTAT's food balance sheets, ahead of Ukraine and Russia.
Why did Belarus's potato output fall?+
FAOSTAT shows the area harvested falling from 366,766 hectares in 2010 to 141,000 hectares in 2024 with yields roughly flat, so output fell with area. The data do not state a cause.
Does Belarus export potatoes?+
Yes, mainly fresh, but volumes fell from 298,400 tonnes in 2022 to 68,900 tonnes in 2024 (FAOSTAT).
Regional context
Continue Reading
Further reading
Deeper Potatopedia references on seed systems, processing, varieties, and global potato production.