The Ministry for Agriculture and the Costa Rican chamber of potato growers (CCPP in Spanish) believe that the market's current status merit discussions on government intervention by restricting potato imports.
"A strategy is now being developed by vice-minister Xinia Chaves to regulate imports in the face of sufficient national production and prices that have dropped too low," commented Francisco Brenes, head of the Ministry's potato sector for Cartago, according to an article by Alejandro Fernández for Elfinancierocr.com.
Source: elfinancierocr.com
More on this topic
November 2010
The Costa Rican Chamber of Food Industry claims the government is providing barriers to potato imports for industrial use.
The Costa Rican Chamber of the Food Industry (CACIA) expressed strong displeasure once again, in the absence of a response by the government in connection with the application for the “shortage clause” which is used in case domestic production does not meet the requirements of internal demand.
October 2009
Prices of both tubers have fallen way below productions costs.
Farmers are selling a kilogram of potatoes at $0.32, while production costs are $0.55 per kilogram, so they lose $0.22 with each kilo. As for onions, $0.22 are paid per each kilogram, which costs $0.41. A little more than a month ago, a kilogram of onion could be sold for $0.85.
October 2011
The Ministry of Commerce has authorized the importation of 68 million pounds of onions and 58 million pounds of potatoes from Costa Rica and the Netherlands.
In order to supply local consumption for a month authorization has been given for 10 million pounds of onions from Costa Rica and 58,000 quintals of both potato and onion from the Netherlands , said Orlando Solorzano, Minister of Development, Industry and Trade (MIFIC in Spansih).
June 2009
The producers of Paso Ancho de Oreamuno join those of Zarcero to create the Costa Rican Chamber of Potato Producers.
The new organization of producers seeks to guarantee certain competitiveness in the production and marketing of the potato in Costa Rica "to achieve a fair price, to supply the domestic market, and, thus, to protect the way of life of the farmers that are dedicated to cultivating this product in an environmental and socially sustainable way," as was quoted in an article by Ana Cristina Camacho Sandoval in Elfinancierocr.com.
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