Potato is one of the important food crops owing to its rich nutrient value and accounts for about fifty percent of the worlds annual root and tuber crops production. The annual global production of potato is more than 320 million tonnes. It is also economically important staple crop in developed as well as the developing countries. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations USA ranks 5th in potato production (1. China, 2. Russian Fed., 3. India, 4. Ukraine).

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) has announced 2008 as the International Year of the Potato (IYP).