Bolivia: Severe Frosts Wipe Out Up to 90% of Potato Production in Five Altiplano Municipalities
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The Bolivian Altiplano is currently facing a severe agricultural crisis due to extreme winter conditions. Recent frosts hitting the high-altitude regions have devastated the local potato crops, leaving farmers grappling with catastrophic losses and a deeply uncertain future.
Unprecedented Agricultural Losses
The intense cold wave that swept across the 2025-2026 agricultural campaign has caused losses of up to 90% in potato production. This devastating impact is concentrated in five municipalities located within the Altiplano regions of the La Paz and Oruro departments.
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According to reports from technical experts at the Center for Research and Promotion of the Peasantry (CIPCA), nearly 90% of the producers operating within their intervention areas have been severely affected. The harsh weather has essentially wiped out the primary means of subsistence for these rural families.
The Toll of Climate Uncertainty
The agricultural challenges in the region go beyond a single cold snap. Experts warn that these extreme weather events, driven by climate change, are becoming increasingly frequent and unpredictable. The combination of unexpected frosts and sudden hailstorms creates a volatile environment for farming.
This climate uncertainty is taking a heavy psychological and economic toll on the agricultural community. As technical experts have noted, families are forced to watch their crops and livestock perish overnight, leading to a profound loss of motivation to continue agricultural production.
Historical Cold Records
The severity of this year’s frost is underscored by meteorological data indicating that temperatures in the departments of La Paz, Oruro, and Potosí are plummeting toward the historical record of -22 degrees Celsius, a low not seen since 1999. As the intense cold is forecast to continue through August, the short-term outlook for any agricultural recovery in the Altiplano remains bleak.
Sources of Information:
- Argenpapa: Bolivia: Las heladas han causado pérdidas de hasta el 90% en la producción de papa en cinco municipios del altiplano. (argenpapa.com.ar/noticia/17420-)
- Opinión Bolivia: Heladas provocan pérdidas de hasta 90% en la producción de papa en 5 municipios del altiplano.
- Argenpapa English: Bolivia: Frosts have caused losses of up to 90% in potato production in five municipalities of the highlands.
- Opinión Bolivia: Frío en La Paz, Oruro y Potosí se acerca al récord histórico de -22 grados, ocurrido en 1999.
The Bolivian Altiplano: Devastated by Drought, Frost, and Climate Change
This documentary report visually highlights the harsh realities that farmers in the Bolivian Altiplano face when their potato crops are decimated by extreme frost and shifting climate patterns.
