Argentina: In southeastern Buenos Aires, potato producers are abandoning the harvest.
The increase in industrial crops and the inability to export have generated an oversupply in the domestic market. They warn that prices don’t cover costs and that profitability is in the red.
2025 was shaping up to be a challenging year for potato producers, especially in southeastern Buenos Aires. After a positive 2024, the expansion of planted area and the installation of a new industrial plant fueled expectations that were not met.
"What failed was that there was more land and favorable weather that increased production, but the industry couldn’t achieve the expected exports ," explained producer Sergio Costantino, at Chacra Agro Continental.
According to Costantino, the lack of a competitive dollar and overproduction in other countries left Argentina out of international markets. As a result, much of the potato that was supposed to be destined for processing ended up in the fresh domestic market, creating glut. "Consumption grew because potatoes were cheap , but you can’t eat twice as much: we went from 40 or 50 kilos per inhabitant to a little more, but never to 100 ," he noted.
The imbalance between supply and demand has had a direct impact on prices . Currently, a bag of black potatoes sells for between 2,000 and 4,000 pesos, while production costs are around $12,000 per hectare. Costantino confirms that potatoes are currently sold for a third of what they cost to produce.
The problem is replicated in provinces such as Córdoba, Tucumán, Mendoza, and Río Negro, which supply fresh potatoes to the market year-round. Even so, the Argenpapa representative praised the arrival of new industries in the country.
"Welcome to the industry. We need to strengthen this sector because it’s a very important alternative for potato producers ," Costantino explained, highlighting Argentina’s role as a "leader in the production of frozen French fries ."
Fuente: Traducido por Argenpapa de : infobae.com
