Mexico: "Poor season for potato producers due to drought and low prices"
Luis Xavier Zazueta, president of the Association of Farmers of the Fuerte Sur River (AARFS), noted that this year has been especially challenging for the agricultural sector, due to the severe drought and low prices in the market.
He explained that, regarding potato production, which is 75% complete and will end in mid-April, yields have been significantly low, reaching only between 25 and 30 tons per hectare.
He also highlighted that one of the main problems is the sales price, which has plummeted to just 8 pesos per ton.
Regarding grains, he emphasized that beans have been the only crop that has managed to excel, albeit with reduced production, estimated at an average of two tons per hectare.
Yields were particularly low in the Sevalbampo, Pascola, and Higuera modules, where high-quality beans are produced. In these cases, water stress caused yields to fall below two tons per hectare. In contrast, in the Corerepe area, where beans were planted with rainwater, yields also fell below two tons.
In the Taxtes and Santa Rosa irrigation modules, where water was available at the right time, yields exceeding two tons per hectare were obtained. However, he emphasized that most beans received only one or two auxiliary irrigations, while pinto beans were planted with the initial moisture, which also limited their development.
"It’s a truly bad year for the countryside. Vegetables have never had government support, but grains have gone years without that subsidy, and support is severely limited. It’s not a new year for producers, and we’re also reducing our acreage."
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