Costa Rica

The production of potatoes in Costa Rica takes place in the Central Meseta, in an area Northwest and East of San Jose. Most of this production, however, is concentrated on the slopes of the Irazu Volcano, which supplies ninety percent of the national production.

The province of Alajuela produces the next largest quantity of potatoes, yet it represents only 5.6 percent of the national production.

Potatoes are planted and harvested every month of the year, although most of the crop reaches the market twice a year, from late August through early November, and again in March. The rainy season begins in April-May and runs through October, sometimes into November. This allows farmers to plant at the beginning of the rains and again at the end of the wet season. Since there is very little irrigation used in the cultivation of potatoes, an extended dry season will cause a large decrease in the supply of potatoes, resulting in large price fluctuations. The normal growing cycle is approximately 135-140 days.

Roughly 4,000 farmers grow potatoes. (World Potato Atlas)

Potato production in Costa Rica in 2014 was 62.000 tons (Costa Rica Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock)