INCREASED DEMAND WILL ELEVATE THE POTATO HARVEST IN MINES

The constant increase in demand for pre-prepared potato is one of the factors that will boost the production of tuber in Minas Gerais in the 2017/2027. According to the study done by the Secretariat of Agriculture, livestock and food supply (Seapa), "Projections of agribusiness 2017 Miner to 2027," the trend is that the potato harvest range 1530 tons at the end of the Decade, that will represent a rise of 22.3% compared to 2017. It is expected that the growth is driven by productivity, resulting from the high technology applied in the cultivation of the potato processing industry-oriented. Largest potato producer in the country, Minas Gerais harvested, in 2017, about 1.3 million tons. With favorable conditions of climate, soil and temperature, it is possible to grow potatoes throughout the year, generating employment and income, since the crops until the industrial processing. The production of the tuber is distributed in 10% of the municipalities, with a total of 86 miners, of which 60 are located in the southern region. The production is also featured in the Alto Paranaíba, where processing units are located. The largest municipalities in the Alto Paranaíba producers are Partridges, which represents 19% of State and Rio Paranaíba, with 8.5% of the crop. In the South of Minas Gerais, the highlight is Ipuiúna, responsible for producing 9.4% of the potatoes. According to the Company's regional technical coordinator of technical assistance and Rural extension of the State of Minas Gerais (Emater-MG), Pouso Alegre, in the Southern State, Raul Maria, the trend is for the market to use baking Potatoes grow substantially in the next few years, which will boost production geared towards processing industries. Before migration, the production of potatoes in Minas Gerais was concentrated in the South of the State and is now growing much in the Alto Paranaíba. In addition to the altitude in the South of Minas Gerais, the intensive culture of potato mechanization have hindered the permanence of family agriculture. Many producers are migrating from culture, mainly in water yields and drought. In recent years, medium and large producers have migrated to the high Paranaíba, since the region has adequate altitude topography with high, allowing the mechanization of planting ". The result of the increased use of technologies, such as the mechanization of processes, has promoted the gain in productivity. In this way, the trend is that between 2017 and 2027 the production grow 22.3%, adding 1,530,000 tons, while the cultivated area should stabilize in 1,780,000 acres, representing an advance of just 0.28% front area occupied in 2017. The increased production must occur in the region next to processing industries, as in the High Paranaíba. The ease of preparation and the variety of pré-prontos dishes using potatoes are factors that come by stimulating the consumption of the industrialized product. To the South of Minas Gerais, region that has the most consumer-oriented production in natura, the tendency is to fall in production. With the lower demand, the prices paid to producers of potato come registering fall, which, together with high costs, has descapitalizado and discouraged small producers. Supply-according to the data of Seapa, Minas Gerais is self-sufficient in supplying fresh potato market and produces surpluses which are intended for various States, mainly to São Paulo. In relation to the industrialized potato, the State is self-sufficient in the production of straw potatoes, producing 100% of the raw material. About 60% of the pré-frita frozen potato is also produced in Mines, and the rest has to be imported from other States, mainly in São Paulo. The State depends on the import of about 40% of seed potatoes, from other States and other countries.