The potato harvest in the department of San Pedro (Paraguay) has begun. 75 hectares were harvested in the first stage. According to agricultural technicians, the average production will be between 25,000 and 30,000 kilos per hectare. Harvest activities for this product began with the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture in the area of Yrybucua, an area in which potatoes and peppers are the items with the highest productivity.
Production
According to the last agricultural census, five departments specialized in potato crops. Alto Paraná and Itapúa rank first, second is Neembucu, San Pedro, Concepción and Misiones rank in third. Currently, 60,000 kilos of (imported) potatoes are consumed per day in Paraguay. If domestic production increased, 250,000 kilos of potatoes would be consumed per day. This would help the area recover and increase national consumption.
Reactivation
Potato production is low compared to other countries in the region. Last year, the National Federation of Fruit and vegetable Producers carried out a program to rekindle the cultivation of this crop. 98% of the potatoes consumed domestically are imported as the national production isn't enough to supply the market demand.
Source: Agroparaguaya
