Mexico (North of Sinaloa): The potato harvest has reached its final stage, with 92% of the harvest completed.

Producers face challenges due to low yields and falling prices:

The representative of the agricultural sector reported that yields this season fell short of expectations, ranging between 25 and 30 tons per hectare, lower than in previous years. Although the season began with a positive trend, several factors have complicated the outlook for producers, affecting both production and profitability.

One of the main obstacles has been the drop in selling prices. In January, a kilogram of potatoes was selling for between 18 and 20 pesos, but this price has recently fallen, directly impacting farmers’ income. Nevertheless, producers remain hopeful that industry demand will increase in the coming weeks.

Strategies to address the challenges: storage as an alternative:

Faced with the current difficulties, some producers have decided to store part of their harvest in cold storage in hopes of a price recovery. However, this strategy involves incurring additional costs, mainly for electricity consumption, which increases the pressure on their operating margins.

An unusual winter and pests complicate potato cultivation:

López Rosas described this season as particularly challenging due to an atypical winter characterized by a lack of low temperatures. This was compounded by the incidence of pests, which significantly increased production costs and further complicated agricultural work.

Reduction in cultivated area in northern Sinaloa:

During the current agricultural cycle, approximately 16,000 hectares were planted with potatoes in the northern region of Sinaloa, a decrease from the 18,000 hectares registered the previous year. This reflects a reduction in the amount of land dedicated to this activity in the area.