Mexico: Potato farmers in Perote are waiting for rain that could save their harvest.
Recent rains brought relief to potato farmers in Perote, who had been enduring weeks of drought. They still remember the losses suffered last year due to overproduction and falling prices .
Potato farmers in communities near Cofre de Perote are hoping that the rains will return to regularity to ensure good harvests in the coming months.
Last year they faced a difficult situation due to low prices and overproduction, circumstances they hope not to repeat this time due to the lack of water.
After several weeks without rain, last week’s rainfall has provided a respite and the confidence that their situation could improve.
More than a month without rain
Jorge Hernández Chávez, from the Vidal Díaz Muñoz community in the municipality of Perote, mentions that they had gone more than a month without rain. Furthermore, the climate and agricultural cycles have been changing.
“The drought is affecting us a lot right now, and even the weather has changed quite a bit. Hail fell recently, but now it’s the drought that’s hitting us harder, especially because the plant is in its crucial stage and needs water,” he explained.
Perote is one of the main potato-producing municipalities in Veracruz, ranking second in state production behind Jalacingo, while the state is among the top four producers in the country.
Until 2023, Veracruz had a production of 143,725.37 tons, representing 7.2% of the national production.
Unlike in the past, in the countryside it is no longer certain to know when it will rain or when hail will fall, which has disrupted planting.
Fuente: argenpapa.com.ar/noticia/17560-
