Paraguay: Due to MAG Budget Cuts, Over 400 Potato Producers in Paraguarí Left Without Access to Seeds

A serious crisis is brewing in the department of Paraguarí (Paraguay). Due to budget cuts implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG), more than 400 local small and medium-sized farmers have lost state access to high-quality potato seed material, putting the region’s current agricultural season in jeopardy.

The department of Paraguarí has traditionally been one of the key potato-growing zones in Paraguay, where hundreds of families depend on this crop as their primary source of income. However, this year, producers have encountered an unexpected obstacle from the relevant ministry.

Causes and Scale of the Problem

The state support program, which previously provided farmers with subsidized or free high-reproduction seeds, has fallen victim to strict austerity measures. As a result of the MAG funding cuts:

• More than 400 producers have been left without the promised planting material.
• Hundreds of hectares of prepared land risk remaining unplanted during the optimal agrotechnical window.
• Small family farms, lacking sufficient capital of their own to purchase expensive imported seed potatoes on the open market, find themselves on the brink of financial ruin.

The region’s farming cooperatives have already expressed deep concern over the unfolding situation, emphasizing that the absence of seeds at the start of the planting campaign disrupts the entire production chain.

Consequences for the Paraguayan Market

Specialists warn that the disruption of the planting season in Paraguarí will lead to long-term negative consequences for the entire country:

1. Domestic Market Shortages: A drop in local production will result in a scarcity of fresh potatoes on store shelves during the second half of the year.
2. Price Spikes: The inevitable supply deficit will trigger a sharp increase in potato prices for end consumers.
3. Import Dependency: To cover the product shortage, Paraguay will have to significantly increase potato imports from neighboring countries (specifically Argentina and Brazil), which will negatively impact the national trade balance.

Demands of the Agricultural Sector

Representatives of the affected farming communities in Paraguarí are calling on the leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) to urgently reconsider the budget cut decision and find alternative sources of funding. The farmers are demanding immediate government intervention and the organization of seed material deliveries, stating that state support for small-scale producers is vital for Paraguay’s food independence and price stability.