Potato planting started the campaign in negative and fell more than 10% in August

The potato planting The 2023-2024 agricultural campaign began in negative, Well, in August, 22,979 hectares of crops were registered. This area is 16.0% smaller compared to the average sowing of the last 5 campaigns (27,357 hectares) and, if compared to the 2022-2023 campaign, it maintains a drop in sown areas of 10.3%, according to data of the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (Midagri).

According to the ministry, These lower sowings are mainly due to the adverse agroclimatic conditions that have been occurring due to the scarce rains, which are delaying the start of the usual dryland sowing of producers in many of the Andean areas of the north and south of the country.

Likewise, in the agricultural campaign that has just begun, plantings in the main departments that supply the Great Wholesale Market of Lima (Huánuco, Junín, Ayacucho, Lima, Ica, Apurímac, Huancavelica and Pasco) They also show a level of “alert” due to the smaller planted areas of 8.9% compared to the historical average.

In that sense, the lower sowings that have been presented since last season have generated lower production in the period from January to August, which is why it has shown a negative rate of 12.2%, compared to the same period in 2022.

Wholesale price has decreased

According to Midagri, wholesale prices of white and colored potatoes, which are sold in Lima, to date have had a decrease due to the greater supply that was registered in the producing areas from Junín, Huánuco, Ica and Ayacucho.

Thus, between January and September 2023, the average wholesale price was S/1.05 per kilogram, which was 21.4% lower than that registered in the same period of 2022. “Currently, prices are even below the levels in the same period of 2021 due to a greater seasonal productive supply, due to the delay of temporary harvests,” says Midagri.