Mexico: Plans to reduce potato acreage by 30%

Octubre 08, 2012

Sistema Producto Papa is proposing a 30% reduction of the 13,500 hectares of crops in the Pacific area to gain better control of the market, as last year many problems were encountered in selling the production due to how weak the national market was.

The non-governmental representative of Sistema Producto Papa, Eduardo Pedroza Ramos, announced that this could be one of the ways to gain control of the market, because last year, due to oversupply, prices fell sharply.

Additionally, he considered that things would get even worse if potato imports from the United States were authorised, as that would bring unfair competition.

He mentioned that Mexican potatoes cannot be compared with those from the US and that if imports from this country were approved, Mexico would be affected. This is why potato producers will try to stop the agreement at all costs as of January 2013.

Pedroza Ramos mentioned that they have the support of the Ministry of Agriculture to deal with this problem, but that it is vital for the Ministry of Economy to also be aware of its possible implications for the country's finances.

Source: TRIBUNA (via Freshplaza)