Potato production in Boyaca, the country's agricultural pantry, has plummeted on behalf of the intense summer that has destroyed crops and damaged soils.
Plantings have been delayed, and as a result, potato prices have soared: a truck load of 'pastusa' potatoes, which used to cost between 120,000 and 130,000 pesos currently costs between 160,000 and 170,000 pesos, while other varieties range between 140,000 and 160,000 pesos.
"We are going to go bankrupt, especially potato producers that have credit at all banks. Production costs are increasing, we've lost crops and farmers aren't benefiting from the increase in tuber prices. There are countless losses," Florentino Borda, leader of the potato producers told Caracol Radio.
Potato producers in the department expect the weather to improve so they can advance cultivation and so that prices re-stabilize in the second half of the year.
According to Fedepapa, cultivating potato crops requires 6,000 cubic meters of water per hectare. These days, the lack of water and other issues are preventing farmers from carrying out the tasks that the crop requires.
Source: caracol.com.co
