The United States, Europe and Bolivia are the main destinations for Peruvian potato exports, which this year are expected to reach 18,000 tons, despite the impact of the covid-19 pandemic, official sources have reported.
The Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (Midagri) has indicated, in a statement, that due to the greater demand for Peruvian potatoes, in their various species, exports of this product may close this year at 5 million dollars. He added that already in 2020 a record was set in exports of the Peruvian tuber, with the purchase of 16,000 tons of fresh potato and the dehydrated potato known as “tunta” made from Bolivia.
Growing exports
Within the framework of a campaign launched in commemoration of the 16th anniversary of “National Potato Day”, Midagri specialist Juan Miguel Quevedo has indicated that 17,160 tons were exported in 2020 “despite the pandemic” and that this year it is estimated to export up to 18,000 tons. Quevedo has detailed that the demand has grown in the United States, mainly, in its processed, precooked and frozen presentation. In Europe, he explained, the so-called “native Peruvian potato” is preferred, which is processed to eat it fried in flakes.
The specialist also highlighted that Bolivia has become one of the main buyers of Peruvian fresh potatoes produced in the southern regions of Puno, Arequipa, Cusco and Apurímac.
Fresh and dehydrated potato
“Last year was a record, Bolivians bought 16,000 tons of fresh potatoes from us , directed to companies that peel, freeze and sell them to fast food restaurants that have increased in Bolivia, due to the fact that their local varieties have a lot of sugar content ”, he pointed out. Quevedo has also said that in Bolivia “tunta” is in great demand, which is a potato processed and dehydrated at low temperatures in the southern highlands of Peru “of very good quality and that the Bolivian brothers like.”
“It is a potato that is soaked for two or three weeks to consume, it can be stored for about two years. It is the perfect complement to Bolivian dishes such as soups and stews ”, he added.
Vodka with Peruvian potato
Midagri has also highlighted that in recent years it has begun to produce vodka based on native potatoes from the southern region of Huancavelica, which is “very successful” in the demand of stores and supermarkets in the United States. This potato has also been used to make medicinal alcohol in the context of the covid-19 pandemic, which in Peru has so far left almost 2 million cases and more than 180,000 deaths.
Quevedo has highlighted that thanks to the International Potato Center (CIP), which is based in Lima, some 70 native varieties suitable for frying have been identified, which have already been registered in the Registry of Commercial Cultivars. These include those with yellow, red, purple and blue pulp, highly demanded by companies that process them as export snacks.
PERUVIAN POTATOES ARE MORE THAN JUST SNACKS
Potatoes are certainly delicious and filling, but they’re also not just used as everyday food – they’re also deeply valued as a part of Peruvian heritage. Subsistence farmers and local communities cultivate a diversity of potato varieties in order to preserve historic local traditions. Many special types of potatoes are traded and gifted among Peruvian communities. Some very special varieties of potatoes in Peru are even given as wedding gifts or other items of honor.
Potatoes in Peru are also sometimes used for holistic remedies and medicines. They are said to have medicinal properties for relieving headaches and treating skin irritation. They have also been used as an anti-aging tool in skincare. And of course, potatoes can be used to make compounds like flour and alcohol.
