The lack of seeds, climate change and the imports of potatoes and onions at the time of the local harvest are having a toll on the production of potatoes and onions.
The potato harvest in the highlands of Chiriqui is delayed so the market has a limited supply of the product.
"The planting of potatoes, which was scheduled for March, began in May because of the extension of the dry season and the lack of potato seeds," said Virgilio Saldaña, president of the Association of Producers from the Highlands.
Saldaña stated that it was true that the offer had declined, but that the local harvest would enter the market in a month and a half.
This is the result of years of neglect of the agricultural sector, where imports have dominated and there has been no continuity to the programs, said the producer.
In the past three years the production of vegetables and tubers in the highlands of Chiriqui has decreased by 50%, a fall that will increase year by year due to uncontrolled imports, Saldaña said.
According to data from the Panamanian Food Safety Authority (Aupsa), Panama imported 32,504 quintals of potatoes in 2013, i.e. 51.9% (11,114 quintals) more than in 2012.
Onion crops are going through the same ordeal. According to statistics from the National Directorate of Agriculture, in the past six years, onion crops declined by 48.2%, from 1,159 hectares to 600 hectares.
According to producers, some supermarket owners and dealers have decreased purchasing their products because of the price controls, thus exacerbating the shortage.
"Some traders have the tendency of lowering the price to the producers a few days before the price control comes into effect," Saldaña said.
Thanks to the price control producers are being paid 40 cents for a pound of potatoes or onions, i.e. U.S. $40 a quintal. According to farmers, before price control, prices were below the cost of production and used to range between 18 and 20 dollars for a quintal of onions and 20 and 25 dollars for a quintal of potatoes.
Cultivating a hectare of potatoes and onions costs between $12 thousand and $13 thousand.
There are 600 producers in the country engaged in the planting of onions in the provinces of Chiriquí, Herrera, Los Santos and Cocle.
Jorge Arango, Minister of Agriculture, said he would meet with producers on that on Wednesday, July 16, to define agricultural policies for the highlands in order to revive food production.