Argentina: Potato Costs in South-East Buenos Aires Reach US$7,000–9,000 per Hectare
A provincial seminar in Miramar heard that potato growers in south-east Buenos Aires spend US$7,000–9,000 per hectare, while income is still below costs.
Potato production in south-east Buenos Aires province costs between US$7,000 and US$9,000 per hectare, and growers’ income is still below that level despite a price recovery over the last year. These figures were presented at a seminar organised by the province’s Ministry of Agrarian Development, Diario La Vanguardia reported on 28 September.
The seminar, titled “Potatoes in South-East Buenos Aires: Science, Production and Innovation”, took place at the Miramar Experimental Farm. It covered genetics, biotechnology, satellite monitoring, late blight management and the use of by-products.
A concentrated crop
According to the report, Argentina produces 2.1 to 2.9 million tonnes of potatoes a year, and each person eats about 50 kilograms a year. Buenos Aires province accounts for 55% of national production and 80% of the potatoes that go to industry. The south-east, including Balcarce, holds more than 90% of the provincial crop and more than 40% of the national potato area, with more than 38,000 hectares planted in the region.
Weekdays. Unsubscribe in one click.
The main districts are Balcarce, Tandil, Lobería and General Alvarado. They supply the market mainly from February to June, when Buenos Aires province provides up to 98% of the potatoes sold, the newspaper says.
Minister Javier Rodríguez said new technology should serve a clear goal. “It is not about adopting technology for its own sake, but about contributing to a growth strategy for the production chain,” he said. Participants also discussed zones for the differentiated production of seed potatoes.
Rain before planting
The region received rain on the morning of 28 September. Tandil recorded 30 mm, Los Cardos and Ramos Otero 15 mm each, and Balcarce between 5 and 10 mm, according to data from YPF Agro published by Argenpapa. Other points in the network measured from 3 mm in Pieres to 13 mm in Suyai.
Why it matters
South-east Buenos Aires is the core of Argentina’s potato industry, and most of the potatoes used by processors come from this province. When production costs of US$7,000 to US$9,000 per hectare are higher than income, growers have less money to invest in seed, irrigation and technology, even as the region prepares for a new season.
The ministry’s message is that research on genetics, disease control and monitoring should help lower costs and raise the value of the crop. For processors and seed companies, the discussion on seed production zones is worth following, because it could affect the supply and quality of seed for the region.
Photo: A potato crop in Chiloé, Chile (not Argentina) (illustrative). Francisco25 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
