Paraguay: Import Permits Halted as Domestic Potato Harvest Targets 14,000 Tonnes
שליסל טייקאַווייַס
- 14 million kilos is the top of MAG's potato output forecast
- 5,000 to 6,000 guaraníes per kilo paid for potatoes now
- 20 million kilos of onions expected alongside potatoes
- 170 billion guaraníes combined value of the two harvests
פארוואס עס ענינים
- פֿאַר פֿאַרמערס
- Use the import pause to sell through the new MAG family fairs and direct channels. Watch whether prices hold at 5,000-6,000 guaraníes per kilo as harvest volumes rise.
- פֿאַר טריידערז
- Do not plan potato shipments into Paraguay until MAG reopens AFIDI permits. Irregular imports are treated as illegal, so check the status of any cargo already contracted.
60-סעקונדע צוזאַמענפאַסונג
Paraguayan authorities have closed the door to imported potatoes and onions for the local harvest season. Officials at the agriculture ministry say small farms in the Eastern Region and the Chaco can now cover demand, so no new phytosanitary import authorizations are being granted. The ministry expects between 13.5 and 14 million kilos of potatoes by December, sold at 5,000 to 6,000 guaraníes per kilo, and values potatoes and onions together at about 170 billion guaraníes, close to 28 to 30 million dollars. Regional exporters lose a market until permits resume, while Paraguayan growers gain price protection and more direct-sale fairs, starting with a large event in San Lorenzo. Traders who handle imports need to check any shipment in transit. One caveat applies: the production and price figures come from one regional news service quoting the ministry, while the permit halt itself is confirmed by two national newspapers.
Paraguay has stopped issuing import permits for potatoes and onions. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) says local harvests can now supply the market. The measure was reported on 24 and 25 September 2026.
Ernesto Sotelo, the commercialization director at MAG, explained the decision. He said the country is entering the high production period on small farms. Both potato and onion harvests have started in the Eastern Region and in the Chaco.
The restriction applies to the phytosanitary import authorization, known as AFIDI. According to Prensa Mercosur, the last authorized shipments arrived in August and September. The ministry says imports without authorization are illegal. The goal is to protect local growers from irregular entry of product.
וואָכנטעג. אָפּמעלדן זיך מיט איין קליק.
Production and prices
According to Prensa Mercosur, MAG expects national potato production of 13.5 to 14 million kilos through December. Onion production is expected to reach 20 million kilos. Both crops currently sell at 5,000 to 6,000 guaraníes per kilo. At these prices, growers can cover costs and keep a margin, according to the ministry.
The combined value of the two harvests could reach about 170 billion guaraníes. That is roughly US$28-30 million, according to the same report.
More farmers’ markets
MAG also plans to expand family farming fairs. These markets let growers sell directly to consumers. A large fair is planned in San Lorenzo next week. More fairs will follow in other parts of the country. Sotelo said the aim is to create more sales channels for small producers.
פארוואס עס ענינים
Paraguay depends on imports for much of the year, mainly from neighbouring countries. Seasonal import stops protect local prices during the national harvest. For exporters in the region, the window for shipping potatoes to Paraguay is now closed until the ministry reopens permits. For Paraguayan growers, the key question is whether prices hold at 5,000-6,000 guaraníes as volumes rise.
Photo: Potato harvest on the Bolivian Altiplano (not Paraguay) (illustrative). CLAUDIOLD / וויקימעדיע Commons, CC BY-SA קסנומקס
גלאבאלע קאַרטאָפל קורצע אינפֿאָרמאַציע
שפּיץ פינף מעשיות, פּרייזן, קראַנקייט וואָרענונגען און געשעענישן. וואָכנטאָג מאָרגנס, קיין גאַנצע.
וואָס ווייַטער
MAG will hold a large family farming fair in San Lorenzo next week and add more fairs elsewhere. Import permits stay closed while national supply lasts; the ministry has not given a reopening date.
קוואלן
- La Nación (Paraguay) — El MAG intensificará ferias de papa y cebolla (24 Sept 2026) — https://www.lanacion.com.py/negocios/2026/09/24/el-mag-intensificara-ferias-de-papa-y-cebolla-a-precios-accesibles-ante-la-abundante-produccion/
- La Tribuna — Tenemos más papa y cebolla (24 Sept 2026) — https://www.latribuna.com.py/nacionales/locales/2026/09/24/tenemos-mas-papa-y-cebolla-y-el-bolsillo-podria-sentir-ese-alivio/
- Prensa Mercosur — Restringen importación de papa y cebolla (25 Sept 2026) — https://prensamercosur.org/2026/09/25/paraguari-restringen-importacion-de-papa-y-cebolla-ante-inicio-de-cosecha-nacional/
- אָדין יסטאָטשניק
פֿאַרבונדן אין דעם מאַטעריאַל
- לאַנד
- פאראגוויי
פֿאַרבונדענע מעשיות
קאלאמביע: קארטאפל פרייז אין מעדעלין שטייגט צו 3,500 פּעסאָס פּער קילאָ פון 2,000 ווי טרוקן וועטער שניידט צושטעל
פערו: קאַרטאָפל פּראָדוקציע פֿאַרדאָפּלט זיך צו 6.58 מיליאָן טאָן זינט 2000, ווען די פּראָדוקציע דערגרייכט 19.5 טאָן פּער העקטאַר.
