Between January and October 2021, Chile's potato exports fell by 54.4% over the first ten months of 2020, totaling 1.4 million dollars. During this period, exports of potatoes for fresh consumption and prepared potatoes (not frozen) decreased, mainly.
Meanwhile, imports up to October 2021 totaled 115 million dollars, i.e. 60.9% more than in the same period of the previous year. Frozen prepared potatoes were the main product imported and grew by 82.1% in this period.
According to the INE's planting intentions report for the month of October 2021, there's been a 1.19% decrease in the planted area in the 2021/22 season, which means there are 35,898 hectares of potatoes in the country. However, production is expected to be 2.8% higher, as the crops will achieve the average yield of the last two seasons.
2020/21 season data
According to the survey of the area planted with annual and industrial crops for the 2020/21 season, which was carried out by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) and the Office of Agrarian Studies and Policies (Odepa), there are 36,329 hectares of potatoes, i.e. 17.7% less than in the previous season. This is not consistent with the market's behavior during 2020, which had stable prices and supply.
However, one must consider that the current INE surface survey is based on the sampling frame of the VII Agricultural Census of 2007, which affects the quality of the results as the reference figures can be outdated. Thus, this season's cultivated area will only be really known from the results of the VIII National Agricultural and Forestry Census, which is currently being conducted.
According to the 2020/21 regional results, the regions with the highest potato production were Los Lagos with 377,806 tons and La Araucania with 209,526 tons. The highest yields were observed in Los Rios, with 49 tons per hectare, and Los Lagos, with 43.2 tons per hectare.
Source: portalportuario.cl
