Peru expects to produce 4.5 million tons of potatoes in 2015

Domestic potato production could amount to 4.5 million tons this year, said the president of the Peruvian National Potato Producers Coordinator (Corpapa), Edilberto Soto Tenorio.

He indicated that there would be approximately 215,000 hectares of potato cultivated in 2015 in 19 of the 24 regions. The main producing areas, he said, were Junin, Huanuco, Puno, Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Cerro de Pasco and La Libertad.

"Currently, the average yield is 12.5 tons per hectare. 8 years ago it was below 10 tons per hectare," he said.

He also said that Peru planted potatoes throughout the whole year but that the largest campaign took place from May to August, a time in which 80% of the total production occurs. Unfortunately, he said, the cooks and the housewives don’t know when the potato season is.

Edilberto Soto said that the main potato varieties planted in the country were the Canchan variety, which accounts for nearly 60% of the total, and the Yungay variety, which accounts for 10%. "The Canchan potato variety has been traded the most since it was launched in the market".

He also stated that the main market for potato consumption is Lima, as it receives nearly 80% of the national production. Peru, he said, is the main producer of this tuber in Latin America.

The president of Corpapa also spoke about potato imports, especially the pre-fried, frozen, and stripped potatoes that are sent to the chicken industry and that, according to him, harm domestic production.

In this regard, he said, the potato that Peru imports mainly comes from Belgium, Germany, USA, Holland, and Argentina, among others.