The Minister of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (MIDAGRI), Ángel Manero, recommended that farmers in the mountain area not plant white potatoes in January to avoid overproduction in May. He warned that the intense rains could generate excess planting, which would saturate the market and cause prices to fall between April and June.
“The entire southern mountains and central mountains have received significant rains since November; and since that date it has been sown”, said the head of the sector.
For its part, the Junín Regional Directorate of Agriculture (DRAJ) joined the recommendation, pointing out that the ideal months for planting are from the fortnight of August to November.
The director of the DRAJ, Ronald Mariño, warned that the rains can be a double-edged sword: “Although they favor agricultural production, excessive rainfall could cause the appearance of the ranch, which would endanger the plantation,” said.
In addition, he reported that the production generated in the last campaign covered 8,678 hectares of white potatoes, 6,097 of colored potatoes and 5,434 of native potatoes, adding up to a total of 20,209 hectares. This has allowed us to adequately supply the region, keeping the cost of the product in the market unchanged.
