Tomás, a farmer from Icod el Alto in the north of Tenerife, is facing a significant challenge with his potato production. In recent weeks, he has harvested 20,000 kilos of the Druid variety and expects to harvest another 20,000 kilos of the Red Face variety in the next two weeks. This surplus of 40 tonnes has no outlet in the local market, saturated by the importation of foreign potatoes.
According to Tomás, the main obstacle is the competition from imported potatoes. “Right now, nobody wants to buy due to the importation. The amount coming from outside has the market occupied, so we have no choice but to let the bramble and thorns continue growing and to give up,” he explained in an interview with Herrera en COPE Canarias. Tomás also pointed out that local establishments, such as bars and restaurants, prefer to use imported frozen potatoes instead of local ones.
In an effort to reduce his losses, Tomás has appealed to the people of the Canary Islands to buy his potatoes directly. He is offering his potatoes at a price of 1 or 1.10 Euros per kilo and has provided his phone number (659 97 24 96) to facilitate direct sales. He has even received support from the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, who bought a sack of potatoes from him.
Potato farms in Valsequillo / Andrés Cruz / LPR
Contrasts with the importers
Ángela Delgado, the president of the Canarian Farmers and Livestock Association (ASAGA) and an importing businesswoman, suggests that farmers should better organize themselves and anticipate demand. “Nowadays, we cannot produce for someone to come and buy the potatoes. It cannot be that it reaches February or March and nobody has potatoes, or that they do not want to sign a contract committing to supplying country potatoes and then, three weeks later, a million kilos appear,” Delgado affirmed.
However, she questions this stance: “I cannot calculate what you import.” She also requests the reactivation of the Tenerife Potato Island Council, a forum where farmers and importers used to coordinate their efforts along with the Tenerife Island Council.
