Potatoes and Onions are Beginning to Become Abundant in Panama

The producers from Tierras Altas (Volcan) said that with this increase in numbers of potatoes and onions, prices should soon be more affordable.  The rains at the end of 2024 affected the harvest cycle in some areas of Tierras Altas, such as potatoes and onions, so for several weeks a shortage was perceived, impacting the pockets of consumers, who reported that making a salad had become a luxury. 

Lorenzo Jiménez, a producer from Tierras Altas, told reporters that the potato and onion harvest is beginning to be abundant, so distribution in the markets will be normalized and should be available at affordable prices.  Jiménez emphasized that this is an issue that takes time to regularize, but its distribution should already be increasing.  They produce over 800,000 quintals (Quintals are a unit of weight equal to 100 kg.) of potatoes annually, while national production is approximately 600,000.

He explained that this year they faced a fortuitous situation due to seed genetics and a storm that hadn’t been seen in years.  Jiménez said the price per quintal reached $140 and is currently falling. “Potatoes always cost 60, 50, and 40 cents; that’s typically the regular price, perhaps not what we expected, but it’s always the price that has historically held,” he said.