Peruvian potato cultivation stands for 34 million daily wages for producers

Potato cultivation has become an important driver of Peru’s regional and local economy in the producing areas. As explained by a Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (Midagri) report, it generates a large amount of jobs in Peru, which means around 34 million daily wages per season for family farming producers.

Juan Miguel Quevedo, Midagri's potato chain specialist:
 

"Although potato cultivation generates more than 110,000 fixed or permanent jobs, the most remarkable aspect is the creation of the intensive jobs it creates nationwide.”

“The 34 million jobs, which are temporary, are mostly created for the sowing, maintenance, harvesting, and post-harvesting campaigns for the most versatile Andean tuber."

Last season, 339,000 hectares were sown. Farmers were hired to work for the stages of preparing the land, sowing, weeding, second fertilization, hilling, pest control, harvest, and post-harvest.

Once they fulfill the mission of sowing and cultivating the land, they leave and are called back for the next stages of potato production, which also includes weeding the land, eradicating pests that may exist, as well as supporting harvest season and post-harvest again.

Ranking of regions where potatoes are grown

On the other hand, Quevedo stated that potato cultivation at the national level is distributed among 19 regions of the country, being the areas with the highest production:
 

1. Puno which produces 850,000 tons per year. Thus, it accounts for 16% of the national production.
2. Huanuco 745,000 tons per year (14%).
3. La Libertad 533,000 tons (10%).
4. Ayacucho 449,000 tons (8%).
5. Cusco 440,000 tons (8%).

Campaign

The Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (Midagri) has launched the campaign "Papa Pa' Ti, lo bueno se comparte" (Potatoes for you, the good is shared), whose main objective is to encourage the consumption of this exquisite Peruvian product in its various preparations.

In addition, Peru is the main center of origin of potato —a tuber whose aged above 7,000 years and is a fundamental food in the development of the pre-Inca and Inca cultures.