The shortage of garlic in the Huancayo markets is worsening because a large part of the production of the Mantaro Valley is being sent to Lima, said the regional director of Agriculture, Jesús Ayquipa. He added that thel The price of a kilo of garlic in December 2023 was 6.50 soles per kilo, and from then until now the price has increased fivefold and reached 35 soles.
“All the garlic from Junín and other places went to Lima, which is why there is a shortage. It is also a basic product of Peruvian gastronomy,” he said.
He explained that in Chupaca and Huancayo, in the last campaign, only 450 hectares were planted out of the 600 that were there in a previous campaign.
He also mentioned that in the Arequipa region, the largest producer of garlic, there was also low production due to the effects of the El Niño phenomenon and at this time of year there is a shortage at the national level. So, since Lima is the largest market, even producers from the Mantaro Valley prefer to take their production to Lima where a kilo does not go below 40 soles.
This week, in Huancayo, the price of garlic rose to 35 soles per kilo, but yesterday in some stalls of the Wholesale Market, the price dropped to 32 soles, but it is still a high cost, especially for chicken shops, ceviche shops, and chicharronerias that demand the product for the daily table.
Other products that have increased in price include corn, which is sold at 4 for two soles or one sol per unit in the markets, due to the fact that it is not its season.
The director of Agrarian Information of the DRAJ, Jesús Ayquipa, stated that this year the intention to plant garlic increased to 500 hectares in Huancayo, Chupaca and Orcotuna.
Finally, he explained that garlic is a crop that requires irrigation by flooding, and production takes 6 months to harvest.
The main problem affecting garlic is nematodes, a small worm that has a stylet and perforates the bulb. Controlling it requires a lot of investment.
