Nigeria a country blessed with diverse climatic and soil condition for the production of different agricultural produce, is the leading producer of irish potato in Sub-Saharan Africa with platea state producing about 200,000 MT of irish potatoes annually.
Potato {Solanum tuberosum L.} belongs to the tuber crops and there are two main types – Irish potato and sweet potato (Ipoema batata) which is raised through Vines, whereas the former are raised through tubers.
Irish potato was first introduced in Nigeria in the late 19th Century, through missionary activities.
Irish potato is one of Nigerian staple foods. It requires cold water for its growth and hence is chiefly grown on and around Jos, Plateau State and other areas in Benue and Kaduna States. It is a very rich source of starch and it has a high calorific value.
Potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family. The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber.
Despite being first introduced outside the Andes region four centuries ago, today potatoes have become an integral part of much of the world’s cuisine and are the world’s fourth-largest food crop, following rice, wheat, and maize.
The main producing state in Nigeria is plateau state where about 90% of the nation’s production is domiciled and where an altitude ranging from 1200-1400 m above sea level and summer temperatures that rarely exceeds 35 degrees makes for a climate well suited for potato production.
Apart from Jos Plateau, potato can also be grown on the Obudu highlands in Cross River State, Mambilla Plateau in Taraba State and Biu Plateau in Borno State. During the cold harmattan months of November – February, potato can also be grown in about eleven Northern States, such as Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, Bauchi, Katsina, Kano, Gombe, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kaduna and Kebbi under irrigation.
French fries are batons of deep-fried potato. French fries are served hot and generally eaten as an accompaniment with lunch or dinner, or eaten as a snack, and they are a common fixture of fast food. French fries are generally salted and, in their simplest and most common form, are served with ketchup.
The market for frozen potato chip {French Fries} is national. With a population of over 165 million people and an estimated national population growth rate of 5.7% per annum ,an average economic growth rate of 3.5% per annum in the past five {5} years, Nigeria has a large market for frozen potato chip {French Fries}.
The demand for frozen French fries has been growing over the years, marked by the growing demand for fast food products. This is shown by the growth and remarkable performance of fast food restaurants in the local market. Moreover, the constantly growing number of working women is resulting in increased demand for easy to prepare foods such as partially cooked frozen meals.
French fries constitute an essential element in the restaurants menus, as French fries are highly demanded by clients. Consequently, restaurants consume large quantities of frozen French fries ranging from 50 Kg to 1,000 Kg per day.
The local market size for frozen French fries is estimated at around 40 tons/day per normal weekdays. This quantity doubles during holidays, vacations, weekends, summer season, and Ramadan. Restaurants and hotels constitute around 85% of the total market consumption.
Currently over 90% of the french fries consumed in Nigeria are imported.
