Add “one more potato to the broth” or eat a “chicken with potatoes” could now mean a blow to the pocket, and that is that the price of the tuber has continued its upward trend.
According to the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), in September the cost of yellow potatoes increased 22.8%, huayro 16.8%, white 15.3% and color 10%.
In some retail markets, depending on the variety, it can cost up to S/8 a kilo, in supermarkets up to S/10.50.
Wholesalers are not exempt from this increase either. Thus, at the beginning of the year, the Peruvian potato cost S/1.40 per kilo, and until yesterday the value was S/4.43.
This situation had already been warned a few days ago by the president of the Rural Potato Corporation, Freddy García, who also warned that more increases would be seen in October.
The main reason for the increase has been the high price of fertilizers. The professor at the ESAN Graduate School of Business, Jorge Guillén, indicated that the government took a long time to react, despite the fact that the warnings came from last year.
It should be noted that the delivery of Fertiabono to small producers has already begun, depending on the cultivation area.
On the other hand, beyond what happened with the potato in the ninth month, the INEI revealed that the inflation in Metropolitan Lima it continued to rise in September with an increase of 0.52%. With this result, the indicator accumulates an advance of 6.68% so far this year and 8.53% in 12 months.
The advance was a consequence of the increase in the prices of the Food and non-alcoholic beverages sector, which rose 1.34% in the ninth month; of Restaurants and hotels, with 0.65%; and Lodging, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, with 0.56%.
Economist Juan Carlos Odar explained that the result represents the highest rate for September in 10 years. He also commented that there was an increase in fuel, particularly diesel, which drove the rise.
“We have foods that have been rising, such as potatoes, which have increased due to fertilizers and the cost of transportation. Also lemon has risen,” she commented.
He specified that within the factors that affect the speed of return to the target range (between 1% and 3%), is the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Due to this situation, unlike the Central Reserve Bank, which foresees a return to the range at the end of 2023, the specialist considered that this indicator will only be returned to in early 2024.
MINING PRODUCTION FELL STRONGLY IN AUGUST
The INEI also provided the advanced results of some economic sectors. The most worrying is that the production of mining and hydrocarbons fell 5.01% in August. There are already five months, although not consecutive, that register figures in the red.
In the eighth month, lower production volumes of tin, molybdenum, silver, iron, zinc, copper and lead were observed, but gold production increased. In addition, there was less exploitation of natural gas liquids.
