Domestic lettuce production dropped by 70% in the last month, estimated Ciro Gonzalez, representative of Paraguay's Fruit and Vegetable Chamber.
This could continue up until March, he said. There's a shortage of lettuce every year, when summer arrives, he said. This, he added, happens because it is more difficult to produce and transfer leafy vegetables in hot weather without technology, he said.
30% of the production that is still being produced is mainly in the Central Department, where many farmers have the necessary technology to continue the production, such as greenhouses, irrigation systems, and average shade, among other technologies, he stated.
In addition, the proximity to the Central Market, the main vegetable distribution center in the area, makes it possible transport the lettuce within the product's shelf life.
As a result of the scarcity, he said, we are getting ready to import lettuce.
Currently, however, the country is only importing iceberg lettuces. They are more expensive than the lettuce produced domestically, said Gonzalez.
A kilo of this lettuce can cost up to 29,000 Guaranies in the supermarkets.
Gonzalez also said that summer had also affected other products, such as tomatoes. The market currently has almost no domestic tomato, he said.
However, the amount of foreign products that entered the country in this period helped us have competitive prices, he said.
Source: ultimahora.com