The Minister of Agriculture, Santiago Bertoni, said that the peasants, like the medical workers, are “heroes” who during the months of the COVID-19 pandemic have not stopped producing and supplying the markets.
Minister Bertoni spoke during the closing of potato marketing in the department of Paraguarí. The meeting took place in the municipal shed of that municipality. The Minister of Agriculture stated that despite all the difficulties during the pandemic, production and marketing was not stopped. He described the year as relatively successful, indicating that the production has been commercialized at the price agreed at the beginning of the harvest.
Minister Bertoni acknowledged that there were some difficulties related to the drought, but concluded that a successful closure has been achieved in the potato sector that will allow producers of the branch to prepare for next year. He stressed that he understands that no one can produce without technology. “This only strengthens our commitment to you in seeking resources and providing you with joint support, part of the national government and part of the efforts of producers,” he said.
He stressed the importance of each farmer being able to have a source of water supply and implement an irrigation system for crops.
The farmer Koichi Eusegui appreciated the fact that, although there were stumbling blocks with the commercialization of onion and potato, the producers have been able to place their products, which will allow them to continue betting on the item in the coming years. The governor of Paraguarí, Juan Carlos Baruja (ANR), promised to accompany the producers with the provision of water, adjusting his budget and accompanying the project of the Ministry of Agriculture for the benefit of the producers. He said that this year he accompanied farmers with the preparation of soils with agricultural tractors and pointed out that trucks were provided to transport their products.
The coordinator of the potato category at the national level of the Ministry of Agriculture, César Centurión , explained that in the department of Paraguarí there are a total of 350 cultivated hectares, which occupy 1,642 beneficiaries. The Ministry, he pointed out, invested G. 3,453 million in the purchase of potato seeds and more than G. 420 million in fertilizers and fungicides. In the area, more than 2,500,000 kilos of potatoes were obtained, which generated G. 6.5 billion of income to the producer families.
