The rainy-season potato harvest is getting under way in Paraná, southern Brazil, and it is starting with losses. According to analysts at Hortifruti/Cepea, yields in the first fields to be lifted are expected to be 15–20% below those of previous years, and the shortfall could prove even deeper. Combined with a smaller planted area, this is expected to push prices above last season’s levels.
Brazilian wholesalers reported receiving small volumes of Paraná potatoes during the first week of November. Hortifruti/Cepea expects supply to build from the second half of the month in Curitiba, São Mateus do Sul and Ponta Grossa. In Irati, first shipments are anticipated between the third and final weeks of November.
In the first areas to be harvested – Curitiba, São Mateus do Sul and Ponta Grossa – Cepea estimates yields 15–20% lower than in earlier years, and says the decline could exceed that range. Late blight has been present in the crop since September, and rainfall intensified in October.
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Planting delays, which Cepea links to El Niño, mean the harvest is likely to run later than usual. Weather permitting, about 25% of the crop in the three main areas is expected to be lifted in November, with around 15% of local production left for January.
The reduced planted area and lower yields will limit available volumes. In this scenario, Cepea forecasts prices above those of the previous season.
Source: Hortifruti Brasil/Cepea, via Argenpapa
