Magallanes Region: “The southernmost seedbed in the country” has managed to produce more than 130 tons of potatoes in the last three years

Seed Potato

Market & Price Trends

Innovation & Technology

Published Mar 28, 2024

Tridge summary

In Chile's Magallanes region, the Agricultural Research Institute (INIA), with financial support from the Regional Government, has significantly enhanced potato production and food sovereignty through two key programs. Led by researcher Carolla Martínez, these initiatives have successfully produced 130 tons of certified potato seeds over three seasons, benefiting over 360 small and medium-sized farmers annually with varieties like Patagonia INIA, Puyehue INIA, and Yagana INIA. This achievement is particularly noteworthy in light of the food supply challenges posed by the pandemic and international route blockades in 2020 and 2021. Additionally, the project has bolstered food security by distributing over 15 thousand kilos of potatoes per year to the region's most vulnerable families, demonstrating a significant impact on the local community's resilience and self-sufficiency.

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Original content

In recent years the Magallanes region has experienced a true renaissance in potato production, becoming an epicenter of innovation and food sovereignty. This, thanks to two programs of the Agricultural Research Institute (INIA), of the Ministry of Agriculture, which has allowed the consolidation of the southernmost certified potato seedbed in the country. This tuber is one of the most consumed in Chile and plays a fundamental role in the diet of the national population. In Magallanes, potato consumption per inhabitant is approximately 50 kilos per year and occupies first place in terms of cultivation area in the region: 56 hectares according to the latest INIA report in 2022. However, these figures were threatened in 2020. with the pandemic and, in 2021, with the blockade of international routes, a situation that left Magallanes with a serious risk of food shortages. In this context, the projects "Recovery of potato production and health in Magallanes" and "Transfer and ...

Source: Portaldelcampo