Ecuador: Potato Prices at the Ambato Wholesale Market Rise About US$5 per Quintal in September as Supply Falls
Key takeaways
- 5 US dollars per quintal: September rise for Pera and Única
- 2 US dollars per quintal: September rise for Superchola
- 25 US dollars per quintal for Pera, up from 16 in March
- 28 US dollars per quintal for Superchola on 23 September
Why it matters
- For farmers
- Growers with stock can sell into a rising market; those planning the next crop should budget for higher input costs.
- For traders
- Expect firm highland prices while frost and drought limit supply; compare Ambato prices with national data with care.
60-second summary
Highland potato prices in Ecuador keep climbing. At the Ambato wholesale market, traders say Pera and Única gained roughly five dollars per quintal of about 45 kg over September, and Superchola about two. Since March, Pera has moved from 16 to 25 dollars, Única from 18 to 24 and Superchola from 23 to 28. Sellers blame frost, drought and dearer inputs, which cut output in Tungurahua cantons and in Imbabura and Carchi. The official price list of the market authority for 23 September matches these levels. The national information system shows a higher average for Superchola, 38.33 dollars, but it measures a different market. For growers with potatoes to sell the rise is welcome, yet those who lost volume to frost may not recover their costs, and consumers pay more for a staple. The March comparison and trader comments come from one newspaper report, republished by an Argentine portal.
Potato prices are rising at the wholesale market of Ambato, in the central highlands of Ecuador. The varieties Pera and Única rose by about US$5 per quintal during September. For the variety Superchola, the increase was close to US$2. A quintal is about 45 kg. The daily newspaper La Hora reported the figures, and the Argentine potato portal Argenpapa republished them on 24 September.
Compared with March, the rise is larger. According to the report, Pera went from US$16 to US$25 per quintal. Única went from US$18 to US$24, and Superchola from US$23 to US$28.
Traders at the market name three causes: higher prices for farm inputs, frost and drought. According to them, these factors reduced production in several supply areas. The potatoes sold in Ambato come mainly from the cantons of Tisaleo, Quero, Mocha and Pelileo, and from the provinces of Imbabura and Carchi.
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The official price list of the Ambato market authority (EP-EMA) for 23 September confirms the level. It shows Superchola at US$28 per quintal, local Pera at US$25 and local Única at US$24. Other varieties on the list include Cecilia at US$28, Fripapa at US$22 and Gabriela at US$20.
These market prices differ from the national figures. The national agricultural information system reported an average wholesale price of US$38.33 for Superchola in September. The two figures measure different markets and should not be compared directly. Our report on the national price rise for Superchola potatoes was published on 23 September.
Why it matters
The rise at Ambato shows that the national price increase also reaches regional wholesale markets in the highlands. Frost and drought reduce the crop, and costly inputs make the next planting more expensive. For consumers, potatoes are a basic food. For growers, higher prices help only those who still have potatoes to sell. Growers whose fields were hit by frost or drought may not gain enough to cover the lost volume.
Photo: Native potatoes at the weekly market in Cochabamba, Bolivia (not Ecuador) (illustrative). kiki-bolivien / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Sources
- La Hora via Argenpapa, 24 Sep 2026 — https://www.argenpapa.com.ar/noticia/17814-ecuador-ambato-la-menor-oferta-eleva-hasta-us-5-por-quintal-el-precio-de-algunas-variedades-de-papa
- EP-EMA Ambato, price list of 23 Sep 2026 — https://ambato-ema.gob.ec/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/precios-2026-09-23.pdf
- Expreso, 17 Sep 2026 (national price) — https://www.expreso.ec/economia-y-negocios/canasta-basica-ecuador-productos-subieron-precio-septiembre-2026-296101.html
- March prices and trader statements: one source
Linked in this material
- Country
- Ecuador
- Companies
- EP-EMA Ambato
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