National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles says China’s state-backed agricultural expansion strategy is rapidly reshaping the global frozen potato industry. “The Chinese government has a tremendous capacity to enter markets, particularly in agriculture, and basically try to corner those markets,” Quarles said. “We’re seeing that they’re doing that in the frozen potato products space, especially frozen fries.” China’s investment in processing capacity and technology has accelerated sharply in recent years, allowing the country to gain ground in key export markets traditionally served by U.S. producers. “These are Chinese growers who are standing on the shoulders of the Chinese Communist Party and its gigantic checkbook.”
