Guatemala: Wholesale Potato Prices Jump 28% in One Week as Dry Weather Cuts Supply
Official market data show large washed Loman potatoes at Q590 per quintal in mid-September. The monthly average is more than double last year, and the ministry links the rise to scarce rainfall.
Wholesale potato prices in Guatemala rose sharply in September. Large washed potatoes of the Loman type sold at Q590 per quintal in the week of 14 to 18 September. That is 28.26% more than the week before, when the price was Q460. The data come from the weekly price report of the agriculture ministry MAGA, published on 21 September.
Smaller sizes followed the same trend. Medium Loman potatoes rose from Q380 to Q470 per quintal. Small Loman potatoes rose from Q260 to Q335 per quintal. One quintal equals 100 pounds, or about 45.4 kilograms.
Prices far above last year
The ministry puts the September 2026 average for large Loman potatoes at Q488 per quintal. This is 109.11% higher than in September 2025. It is also 70.03% above September 2023 and 57.36% above September 2022. Compared with September 2024, the increase is smaller, at 6.54%.
Weekdays. Unsubscribe in one click.
The ministry says scarce rainfall has affected crop development. It names Quetzaltenango, San Marcos, Palencia and the department of Guatemala as the main supplying areas.
Daily ministry prices for 25 September show the high level holding. At the CENMA wholesale market, large washed Loman potatoes sold at Q600 per quintal. At La Terminal market in Guatemala City, the same product sold at Q590. Round potatoes were much cheaper. Large washed round potatoes sold at Q320 at CENMA and Q290 at La Terminal. Unwashed round potatoes sold at Q300 and Q270.
Drought across the region
The price jump comes as a strong drought hits Central America. Media reports from the Dry Corridor describe failed maize crops in northern Guatemala. Local people there say they already pay about 50% more for grain.
Why it matters
Potatoes are a key cash crop for highland farmers in western Guatemala. Higher prices help growers who still have potatoes to sell. However, farmers with dry fields may harvest much less, so their income may not rise.
For traders and food buyers, the gap between Loman and round potatoes is now large. Large Loman potatoes cost about twice as much as round potatoes at both markets. Buyers may switch to cheaper types while supply stays short. The next weekly reports will show whether the rains return and prices ease.
Photo: A vegetable market in the Western Highlands of Guatemala, 1980 (illustrative). H. Grobe / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
