A Colorado beetle appears in the plantations of England and Lanzarote runs out of potatoes. Several politicians and farmers agree that there will be shortages in the coming days. But how did we get here?
There was a time when there were so many potatoes in Lanzarote that they were exported to the rest of the islands. Today potatoes arrive in winter from Cyprus and Israel. In autumn from Scotland and Denmark. In summer from England... until its entry is prohibited due to a plague in the English countryside.
In an interview with Gustavo Crespo, first president of the Papa los Valles Association and currently vice president of SAT Jable, for Ekonomus, we discovered how the potato calendar in Lanzarote jumped on the globalization bandwagon and how local producers stopped planting.
- What percentage of the potatoes consumed in Lanzarote comes from England?
At this time almost 100% of the potatoes come from England. Years ago there were local potatoes, which were supplemented with English potatoes, but in recent years distributors have stopped buying local potatoes and paying a fair price for them.
English potatoes give distributors much more margin, they have been paid up to 40 cents per kilo. At the same time, local farmers, in addition to suffering from the drought, decided not to plant due to the increase in production costs.
"In the short term there will be a potato shortage in Lanzarote"
Now its entry is prohibited. It is preferable. If we don't have potatoes to eat, we eat another product, but bringing products at all costs, without a phytosanitary guarantee, is worse.
- Will there be a potato shortage on the island in the coming days?
In the short term, for sure yes. At this time, importers only bring English potatoes. In a month they will start bringing potatoes from Scotland and Denmark. At specific times there will be a shortage.
The Minister of Agriculture of the Canary Islands said that they are going to look for suppliers in other countries such as Cyprus and Egypt, but those countries already have a sales quota, so I don't think they can, hopefully they can.
"Years ago we nourished ourselves with our harvests, which were complemented in the islands"
But there is another problem with Egypt. There is also a plague, a moth has entered. So I don't know if it will be good to bring them or go without, because if we bring plagues...
- What is the potato harvest cycle in Lanzarote like?
In September and October, Scottish and Danish potatoes begin to arrive, both for consumption and as seeds. We buy seeds at that time, we start planting in January and February. In June and July we collect and store seeds, which are the ones we have pending sowing now.
"English potatoes gave intermediaries more margin and the island's farmers stopped planting"
At the end of the year we buy seeds again. Years ago we nourished ourselves with our harvests, which were complemented in the islands, but as English potatoes were more profitable for importers and intermediaries, more profit margin, the island's farmers stopped planting.
- How was the last Lanzarote potato harvest? And on the other islands?
In Lanzarote the harvest is earlier, it ends in June. Then comes the harvest from Gran Canaria, Tenerife and other islands from July. Years ago there were many tons of potatoes from the islands until September.
"Normally there are Lanzarote potatoes again at Christmas, but we have had the irrigation water cut off on the island for a month"
In the last harvest, production decreased considerably due to the drought, but also people did not sow because there was a lack of water and the inputs were very expensive, fertilizers and seeds doubled in price.
"The import of potatoes from the peninsula has been prohibited for more than 30 years"
- Why don't potatoes come from the peninsula?
The peninsula has also been banned for many years because there is a plague there of another beetle, a lepidopteran from the land, which has not yet been eradicated. The import from the peninsula has been prohibited for more than 30 years.
In the Canary Islands we have another plague, the Guatemalan moth, which came from Central America and we also have the export to the peninsula prohibited.
- When will there be Lanzarote potatoes again?
In Lanzarote, at the earliest for Christmas, but this year is atypical. The potatoes that are harvested in December are sown in mid-August or early September. Now it is late, and even if we wanted to plant we don't have water. It no longer depends on the rain, you have to apply irrigation and we have had the irrigation water cut off on the island for a month. We have problems everywhere.
"No one wants to risk spending on seeds and fertilizers and then there is no water to irrigate"
- I understand that given the scarcity, the prices of local potatoes will rise...
First we are going to try to have some potatoes for Christmas. The ones that are available will surely be more expensive, costing double, or triple, unless the rains come early, we are already behind in sowing.
Speaking with farmers on the island, no one wants to risk spending on seeds and fertilizers and then there is no water and you can't irrigate.
We have a serious problem with water that will only end in the long term. This whole year and the next we are going to have a very serious problem with water. Due to shortages, and due to the drought.
