Colombia's potato imports, which in 2020 already amount to some 56,000 tons, are being questioned by Colombian producers, who indicate that the foreign supply is lowering the prices of the national product. The situation affects the income of some 100,000 families that cannot compete with the prices of imports from first world countries, which are subsidized by their respective governments.
The national executive director of Dignidad Agropecuaria Colombiana (DAC), Oscar Gutierrez, said the country has no need to import what it can produce.
Producers hope the Government of Ivan Duque solves this issue and other problems, such as the renegotiation of the Free Trade Agreements that are detrimental for the national producers.
According to official data, Colombia produces about 2,700,000 tons of potatoes per year; however, the country increasingly imports more and more potatoes, mainly from Europe. Producers also said one of the reasons they were at a disadvantage was because of a lack of investment, development, and training.
The V Commission of the Colombian Senate, in charge of agriculture and other issues, shared on its Twitter profile Gutierrez's concern regarding potato imports and how they compete against the national harvest.
Source: prensa-latina.cu