Farmers in Bolivia's Andean region report worsening drought and frost, which have reduced crop yields and income. In the Luquiapu community of Tacopaya, farmer Anastacia Delgado said frost in January 2024 destroyed her potato harvest. "Last year we didn't harvest a single potato from our plot of land," she said, noting that only three potato varieties, copacabana, waycha, and sacambaya, are still planted.
Traditional weather forecasting methods remain in use, such as observing animal and plant behavior. "The fox cries earlier, the poplar and the seaweed turn green before their season," Delgado said. She added that community rituals once held to bring rain have largely disappeared.
According to Bolivia's Toralapa Innovation Center, 2,432 native potato varieties are conserved, but only around 30 are still cultivated. Farmers now rely more on commercial varieties that are resistant to frost and drought. Native types such as wayku or quyllu are richer in nutrients and were once used to make chuño, tunta, and muraya (dehydrated potatoes) that could be stored for up to 20 years.
In the Majasaya Mujlli community, 24% of potatoes are for self-consumption, 23% for seed, and 48% for chuño. Only 2% are sold in markets.
Some farmers are exploring reforestation to restore income and land health. "Only 20% of our territory is suitable for small-scale farming. The rest can be used for reforestation projects," said farmer Eleuterio Santos, though such projects face environmental challenges similar to those seen in Chile.
Source: opinion.com.bo / Argenpapa
