In order to increase the country's per capita consumption of potatoes, Colombia's Government and the Colombian Federation of Potato Producers (Fedepapa) have made an investment of 2 million dollars.
It is an alliance made with the Ministry of Agriculture, which aims to promote the consumption of potatoes in Colombia, as it is currently of 61 kilograms per person per year, and fresh potato producers are ready for it to be increased in the medium term to 90 or 100 kg per capita per year, according to Fedepapa CEO, José Manuel García Páez.
He stated that "training sessions are being brought nationwide to instruct growers on good production practices, so as to guarantee a food of the highest quality."
He reminded that potatoes are the world's third most consumed food, along with corn and wheat, and that Colombia is ranked 36th among 316 potato producing countries worldwide, "highlighting the 60 varieties, quality and nutritional content of the potatoes produced in our country."
Consumption
Due to changes in the consumption habits of Colombians, the per capita consumption of potatoes has significantly dropped in the last decade, affecting the country's growers. This is mainly due to misconceptions about the food and, above all, lack of knowledge about new varieties, uses, nutritional benefits, as well as the myriad ways of preparing delicious and healthy recipes.
To make this a reality, it is important to raise awareness about the nutritional value of potatoes, including their energy, vitamin and mineral content. "The belief that potatoes lead to obesity not only affects consumption, but prevents people from enjoying a very nutritious food," noted Garcia.
The challenge for the industry at this time is to improve product quality, yields, production and, consequently, increase consumption. To this end, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fedepapa have launched a campaign to promote potatoes on two fronts: growers and consumers.
For growers, the series of workshops "Potato masters, pride of our nation" has been organised, by means of which producers will be trained in areas having a direct impact on product quality. For consumers, promotional activities will be carried out during November and December in 39 municipalities.
