Belarus

Belarus is recognized as one of the world’s leading potato producers, with cultivation widely distributed across all six administrative provinces: Brest, Gomel, Grodno, Mogilev, Minsk, and Vitebsk. The country’s geography, including the fertile lowlands, the Central Belarusian Plateau, the Neman Basin in the northwest, and the southern Polesia region, offers optimal conditions for potato farming due to arable soils and freshwater availability. A distinctive feature of Belarusian potato farming is its strong emphasis on domestic breeding. Around 65% of the cultivated area is planted with locally developed varieties.

The State Register for industrial cultivation includes 184 potato varieties (domestic and foreign), with popular Belarusian cultivars such as:

• Pershatsvet
• Palats
• Mastak
• Julia
• Ten
• Belongings
• Zhuravinka
• Breeze
• Manifest

Research and innovation are led by the Scientific and Practical Center of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus for Potato, Fruit and Vegetable Growing, which has over 90 years of experience in breeding, seed production, and cultivation technologies. Belarus also serves as a key regional exporter of potatoes, maintaining strong trade ties with Russia, Moldova, and several Central Asian and Balkan countries, driven by competitive pricing, high domestic output, and integrated supply chains.

Potatoes were introduced to Belarus in the late 18^th century during the era of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and later under the Russian Empire. Their introduction was part of broader European efforts to promote the crop as a resilient food source against famine.

By the mid-19^th century, potatoes had become widely adopted in rural Belarus, particularly among peasant communities. This was due to their adaptability to the local climate, greater resistance to crop failure compared to traditional cereals, and their high caloric yield. These qualities made potatoes a reliable and essential staple in the rural diet.