in Latin America, with an annual production of 5.3 million tons registered in 2019, whose volume contributes to meeting the food needs of a population of 32 million consumers nationwide.
According to the
Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (Minagri), the results of the Andean tuber production confirm the position of
Peru as the 14th world producer of potatoes. The list is topped by nations such as China (1), followed by Russia (2), India (3), Poland (4), the United States (5), Ukraine (6), Germany (7), the Netherlands (8), Belarus (9), France (10), Iran (11), Turkey (12), and Canada (13), among others.
Peruvian
potato production is the annual result of intense activity on 330,000 hectares of crops, distributed among 19 regions, mainly in High-Andean areas.
According to the sector's report, the main producing regions are Puno, Cajamarca, Cusco, Ancash, Huanuco, Huancavelica, Junin, La Libertad, Apurimac, and Ayacucho, among others.
In addition, Minagri revealed that the
average potato yield exceeds 16.1 tons per hectare in Peru, which has allowed generating more than 110,000 permanent jobs mainly for families in areas located 3,000 and 4,000 meters above sea level.
The cultivation of the Andean tuber has also become a notable driver of the regional and local economy in the producing areas. Last year, more than 34 million wages were generated, being
potatoes a substantive element in the creation of productive employment in Andean areas.
At the national level, the tuber is produced by 711,313 families and concentrated in the highlands (90%). In this sense,
native potatoes stand out.
To this end, the Agriculture sector has launched an initiative not only to increase potato consumption through a campaign, but also to promote the development of family farming, whose production is a guarantee of food security for 32 million inhabitants.