Colombia (Santander): Low potato prices worry producers

He explained that national overproduction has led to a considerable drop in prices, which has directly affected the municipality’s farmers.

"We are concerned about the potato sector. There is currently overproduction nationwide, which has reduced the value of potatoes and is impacting the economy of farming families," the president said.

Tona is one of the municipalities with the longest tradition of potato growing in Santander, where nearly 1,200 families make a living from this crop. Between small and large-scale plantings, the municipality maintains an estimated 1,500 hectares dedicated to tuber production.

The drop in potato prices not only affects farmers’ incomes but also jeopardizes the sustainability of crops. In several municipalities in the department, producers have reported difficulties covering transportation, fertilizer, and fertilization costs, while wholesale prices continue to decline.

The mayor announced that promotional events and fairs are already underway in the metropolitan area of ​​Bucaramanga to encourage consumption of local products. 

The idea, he explained, is to bring the countryside closer to the city and facilitate the direct sale of Santander potatoes.

The call seeks to strengthen the rural economy through local consumption. Encouraging households, supermarkets, and restaurants in the metropolitan area to purchase potatoes grown in Santander would help sustain hundreds of rural jobs and prevent crop losses.

In Tona, the páramo conditions and cold climate make the municipality one of Santander’s largest producers, with crops that supply the markets and supply centers of Bucaramanga and other nearby municipalities.

The municipal administration hopes that the upcoming fairs will help alleviate losses and highlight the work of farming families. "We invite citizens to buy potatoes from the farm and support our producers in Tona and throughout the region," the mayor reiterated. Continue reading