In the last eight crop years, the area planted with potatoes grew by 14.2%, from 280,000 hectares in the 2005/2006 campaign to 320,000 hectares in the 2012/ 2013 season, said Juan Manuel Quevedo Bacigalupo, specialist of the potato chain of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MINAGRI).
He explained that the constant increase in the cultivated area was the result of the increase in potato consumption, which in turn has led to an increase in the price of the tuber.
"In 2002, a strategic plan was established to strengthen the potato chain. The plan proposed regulating the areas of hybrid potatoes and encourage the cultivation of alternative crops such as native potatoes, quinoa and corn, which led most producers of hybrid potatoes to plant native varieties," he said.
"Native potatoes, which have a farm price of S/1.20, were promoted; thus, the price of hybrid potatoes immediately boosted and their value in the field became more appropriate. Currently the price of hybrid potatoes in the field is of S/ 0.60," he said, noting that their field price was of S/ 0.20 per kilo when the plan had started.
More farmers cultivate potatoes
Quevedo stated that the number of farmers engaged in producing potato had also increased. The official stressed that while the Third National Agricultural Census (CENAGRO III) conducted in 1994 identified 600,000 potato producers in the CENAGRO- IV of 2012, recorded 730,000.
"In 18 years there are 130,000 new producers who are betting on the potato, which means that every year there are 7,200 new potato producers; 7,000 for each of the 19 regions that grow potatoes," he said.
Higher yields
In the last ten years, he reported, the average yield of potatoes has gone from less than 12 tons per acre to 14.4 tons per hectare. Quevedo attributed this increase to the quality of the potato varieties released by the National Institute of Agrarian Innovation (INIA) and to the producer's development, which has enabled them to make better agronomic crop management.
"Among the hybrid potato varieties, the most important one is the Canchán , followed Yungay, Perricholi, Single, Andina and others that are coming slowly, such as the Red Serranita and Ayacucho. The Andean varieties we are cultivating are the Yellow Tumbay, the Peruanita, Huayro, Huamantanga and Camotillo. In coming years we expect to work with other varieties, such as Jecorani, Putis Yaguarhuaycos and Guencos" he said.
In this regard, he said that the entry of a new variety to the consumer market takes about six years. "We must keep in mind that a new variety must be registered in the Register of Commercial Cultivars that allows producers to produce seeds for the multipliers. Then, it must be promoted so the consumers, who are the housekeepers, restaurants, hotels and processors, know about it" he said.
90 kilos per capita consumption
Finally, he said that the per capita consumption of potato in the country had increased sustainably and was currently standing at 85 kilos per person per year. The goal set by the MINAGRI for 2020 is that the rate reaches 90 kilos per capita. It is an ambitious goal, which would mean that, in six years, every person in Peru would eat potatoes three times a day.
Source: Agraria.pe