Guatemala: New storage system improves potato production

The  Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food  (MAGA), through the Directorate of Support for Community Food Production (DAPCA) of the Vice Ministry of Food and Nutrition Security (VISAN), made a follow-up visit to the Semi-Basement Warehouse System, implemented in the Potato Cultivation Project (PCT).

The objective is to promote the cultivation of high-quality potatoes in Jalapa, Jutiapa and Santa Rosa.

This project, developed with the support of CENTRO KOPIA Guatemala, aims to improve the  storage and conservation conditions of post-harvest seeds .

This is an innovative system that allows reducing seed potato losses after harvest, ensuring that the tubers maintain their physiological quality and adequate sanitary conditions.

Implemented in 2023, the project aims to extend the shelf life of seeds by up to six months. This provides farmers with greater economic benefits and ensures the availability of quality seeds for winter sowing.

MAGA has provided support in the following areas:

• Keep tubers in optimal ventilation conditions.
• Control and recording of internal temperature in the warehouses, with an ideal range between six and eight degrees Celsius.
• Constant monitoring to detect problems such as pests, diseases and seed dehydration.
• Maintaining vigor and producing strong, healthy shoots.

The potato seed storage system in semi-basements was proposed by Dr. Kwon Min, based on his experience in  South Korea . This method has proven to be highly effective in improving seed tuber quality and optimizing their yield.

Benefits of potatoes

Potato is a strategic crop for national and global food security. It is currently grown in more than 150 countries and is key in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.

Its short vegetative cycle, ease of management, high nutritional value and productivity make it a fundamental pillar of  family and commercial agriculture.

In Guatemala, potatoes are the fifth most planted area per year and represent an important source of income for producers.

In addition to contributing to the food security of rural family farming, its commercialization stimulates the local economy and allows producers to cover other basic needs.

This action is part of the plan A new sowing for Guatemala’s agriculture highlighted in Objective 1:

• Increase productivity, availability, physical and economic access to food in a timely manner.