Brazil focuses its potato production on the domestic market

According to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), it is estimated that in Brazil there are 100,000 hectares of potato cultivation spread over several states of the country, which generate a production of 3.8 million tons. Productivity has been increasing, due to the more productive varieties and the use of new technologies related to irrigation, nutrition, soil preparation and the use of quality potato seeds. Most of this production is sold fresh, with around 25-30% destined for industrial processing. This crop has a great socioeconomic importance in the country. In Brazil there are about 2,000 producers, and the activity generates more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs. Likewise, the potato production chain plays a very important role, with a GDP of between 4,000 and 5,000 million reais. However, the challenges to reach the consumer's table with quality are great. For this, the entire production process, from the choice of seed potatoes to ...