Brazil: Consumer Potato Prices Rise 3.1% in September After Two Monthly Falls
Potato prices in Brazil's IPCA-15 index rose 3.10% in September after falls of 10.03% in July and 25.14% in August. Over 12 months they are up 46.96%.
Consumer potato prices in Brazil turned up again in September. The potato item of the IPCA-15 index rose 3.10% in the month. The national statistics agency IBGE compiles the index.
The rise follows two months of sharp falls. Prices fell 10.03% in July and 25.14% in August.
Still far above last year
The summer decline did not erase earlier gains. Potato prices rose 26.29% in May and 29.42% in June. In April they rose 4.53%.
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As a result, potato prices are up 39.01% since the start of 2026. Over 12 months they are up 46.96%.
General inflation is much lower. The full IPCA-15 index rose 0.70% in September. It is up 4.47% over 12 months.
The wider group of tubers, roots and legumes rose 4.66% in September. Sweet potato prices fell 1.46%.
Potatoes have a weight of 0.1855% in the September index. The IPCA-15 covers prices collected from mid-August to mid-September.
The spring rally was the main source of the annual increase. In May and June alone, potato prices rose by more than a quarter each month. The falls of July and August removed only part of that gain.
Smaller crop in the background
Supply is lower this year. IBGE expects 4.20 million tonnes of potatoes in 2026, down 8.2%. The winter crop, now on the market, is estimated at 893,762 tonnes, down 19.1%.
Planted area is the main reason for the smaller crop. Growers planted 9.2% less land than in 2025, according to IBGE data. The area of the winter crop fell 23.7%.
Why it matters
A price rise of almost 47% in a year is large for a basic food. It affects household budgets and restaurant menus. It also sets the reference for retail promotions of fresh and processed potatoes.
The September turn suggests that the price fall of July and August may be over. The next IPCA and IPCA-15 releases will show whether the rise continues as the winter harvest ends.
Photo: A street food market in Saúde, São Paulo, Brazil (illustrative). Wilfredor / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
