Mexico

Mexico has a well-established potato industry that spans commercial production in the north and northwest as well as traditional cultivation in the highlands of central and southern Mexico. The crop is grown across a range of environments, from irrigated agricultural areas in states such as Sonora and Sinaloa to high-elevation production around the volcanic regions of central Mexico. Recent official data show that Mexico produced about 2.16 million tonnes of potatoes from more than 68,000 hectares in 2025, with Sonora and Sinaloa accounting for the largest shares of national production, followed by the State of Mexico, Puebla and Veracruz.

Mexico's potato sector is characterized by considerable varietal diversity. Commercial production includes widely grown varieties such as Alpha, Atlantic, FL1867, Fianna, César, Gigant/Giant and Mondial, while regional farmers also maintain native or locally adapted potatoes. Alpha has historically been particularly important in Mexican commercial production. The country is also a significant center of diversity for wild potato relatives: government sources report 28 wild Solanum species in Mexico, some of which contain genetic characteristics useful for potato breeding. Native potato diversity is especially associated with high altitude areas around the Nevado de Toluca and Pico de Orizaba.

Production systems differ substantially between regions. Large scale growers in northern Mexico generally use irrigation, improved seed and more advanced production technologies, while smallholder production in central and southern highlands is often associated with smaller fields and locally maintained planting material. Potato production faces important constraints including late blight, early blight, viruses, bacterial diseases, environmental stress and problems associated with introduced varieties. Mexican breeding research, particularly through INIFAP, has therefore focused on developing genotypes with improved resistance or tolerance to diseases and environmental stresses while maintaining marketable tuber quality.

The history of potatoes in Mexico is unusual because the country is not considered the primary center of origin of cultivated potato, which is associated with the Andes of South America. However, Mexico is an important center of diversification for wild relatives of potato. Government seed authorities report that Mexican wild Solanum species contain rare genetic characteristics that are absent or uncommon in South American potato relatives. Some wild potato tubers, including those of Solanum cardiophyllum and S. ehrenbergii, have traditionally been consumed in parts of the Mexican Altiplano, demonstrating a long-standing relationship between local communities and native potato relatives.

Commercial potato production expanded considerably during the twentieth century. According to FAO, until the early 1960s production was concentrated mainly in rainfed areas above 2,000 m in the volcanic highlands of central Mexico, where yields were relatively low. Production subsequently expanded into irrigated commercial areas in northern and western Mexico, where improved production systems substantially increased yields. By the 2000s, Mexico had developed a sizeable commercial potato industry, while traditional production and native diversity remained important in the highlands. Today, the sector combines modern commercial production, processing-oriented agriculture and a valuable reservoir of native and wild genetic resources that continues to support potato research and breeding.