Potato planting in northern Sinaloa, one of Mexico’s main winter potato regions, has reached 40% completion, according to local broadcaster Meganoticias, as reported by Argenpapa on 10 November. Growers in the Los Mochis area had put the region’s area for the autumn–winter cycle at around 16,000 hectares in October.
A slow start
In mid-October, field activity was still limited. A growers’ association leader in Los Mochis, Jorge Benjamín López Rosas, said that uncertain weather and difficulty obtaining credit had delayed planting decisions.
The report does not say what the 40% is measured against. If it relates to the 16,000 ha estimate, it would equate to roughly 6,400 ha planted, though the figure should be read as indicative only. For comparison, around 6,500 ha had been planted by 12 November last year against an expected total of more than 14,000 ha, or about 46% on that basis. The pace is therefore broadly in line with last season, though the benchmarks differ.
Weekdays. Unsubscribe in one click.
Area not falling as expected
Growers had signalled a smaller crop. In May, López Rosas said area would probably fall again after a difficult season. The October estimate of about 16,000 ha is close to what was planted last season, which sources put at between 15,600 and 16,000 ha.
Background: a hard 2025/26 season
Last season’s crop was hit by heat and disease. Average yields were about 23 tonnes per hectare against a more usual 30 t/ha, and some growers were unable to deliver contracted volumes to the snack industry. In January, the head of Fundación Produce Sinaloa warned that overlapping planting cycles in Sinaloa and Sonora’s Obregón area could saturate the domestic market at harvest.
Planting in the region is generally carried out through November and December, with harvesting from January, so the coming weeks will show whether the final area matches the October estimate.
Sources
- Argenpapa, 10 November 2026: https://www.argenpapa.com.ar/noticia/18109-mexico-norte-de-sinaloa-la-siembra-de-papa-alcanza-un-avance-del-40
- Meganoticias Los Mochis (original report): https://www.meganoticias.mx/los-mochis/noticia/siembra-de-papa-alcanza-40-de-avance-en-el-norte-de-sinaloa/787352
- Argenpapa, 12 November 2025: https://www.argenpapa.com.ar/noticia/16717-mexico-northern-sinaloa-they-estimate-a-reduction-in-the-area-planted-with-potatoes
- PotatoPro, 26 May 2026: https://www.potatopro.com/news/2026/méxico-productores-no-logran-cumplir-con-los-contratos-con-industrias
- PotatoPro, 8 January 2026: https://www.potatopro.com/nl/news/2026/méxico-siembra-cuantiosa-preocupa-por-eventual-sobre-oferta
- Luz Noticias, 16 May 2026: https://www.luznoticias.mx/2026-05-16/sinaloa/crisis-climatica-lleva-a-productores-de-papa-en-sinaloa-a-reducir-siembra/289579
