“Challenges of Agriculture in Colombia Amidst Post-Pandemic and Climate-Related Issues”

Agriculture went from being the first line of growth during the covid-19 crisis to the last in the post-pandemic. The high cost of inputs, the La Niña phenomenon and the challenge of seeking more financing amid skyrocketing interest rates began to take their toll on productivity.

While in 2020 Colombia was fighting the virus, and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell more than 7%, agriculture helped to avoid a greater crisis, with growth of 2.3%. “From there, in 2021, agriculture grew 3.1% while the country did so by 11%, surpassing only mining and real estate activities, to reach 2022 as the only sector in decline, with -1.9%”, indicated the economic analysts of Bancolombia.

Although for years there has been talk of the agricultural potential that Colombia has —according to the Rural Agricultural Planning Unit (UPRA) the country has 39.2 million hectares available for agriculture—, the territory is afflicted with a problem, Although it is not new, it has been getting worse: low productivity.

Old trees and little food

One of the branches that has lowered its production the most is coffee. According to the most recent report from the National Federation of Coffee Growers, grain production in March was 799,000 60-kilogram bags, 13% less compared to the 914,000 bags registered in the same month of 2022.

And so far this coffee year (October 2022-March 2023), production was 5.6 million bags, 10% less compared to the 6.2 million in the same previous period.

Although this result is attributed, above all, to excessive rainfall, poor fertilization and the lack of renewal of the coffee plantations have also had an influence.

“The La Niña phenomenon was added to the high price of inputs for crops, caused by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. This led coffee growers to buy fewer inputs and fertilize less, so the trees produced fewer fruits,” explained Álvaro Jaramillo, president of the Antioquia Coffee Growers Committee.

This situation worsened with the delay in the plan to renew the coffee plantations, since the crops are aging, ceasing to be productive, competitive and profitable.

What happened? In the government of Iván Duque, the resources were not provided to start the Coffee Plantation Renewal Programwhose purpose is to encourage producers to renew those coffee trees that have completed their productive cycle, granting them incentive packages such as credits and resources in edaphic fertilizers for each site renewed by planting or zoca.

“The coffee tree has a productive life of five years, from then on a downward curve begins. At that time it must be renewed. But in 2022, not only was fertilization less, but the program could not be started. Antioch, for example, it is one of the departments whose crops have an average age of five years and seven months, but without this renewal, the indicator is going to rise”, explained Jaramillo.

For this reason, according to the union leader, for this first half of the year Antioquia is expected to deliver only about 500,000 bags of coffee, that is, about 200,000 less than what it usually delivers, since the trees are older and less productive.

the other crops

But coffee is not the only one that presents these difficulties. Citrus, avocado and cocoa growers have also noted low production in their crops.

For example, Alejandro Vélez, from the Compañía Pecuaria Agrícola (Copeagro), stated that last year it had a 60% reduction in its production compared to 2020. Likewise, the mortality of its trees has been close to 12%.

As for the avocado, although in 2022 it was consolidated as the fifth line of the country’s agricultural exports, the winter season generated a decrease of between 30% and 50% in the production of the fruit.

“Last year the floods affected at least two million planted hectares. With these climatic conditions, pest control is also difficult. and disease management”, they pointed out from Corpohass.

For this reason, for the union, this 2023 came with a series of challenges such as adverse climatic factors, with an impact on the quality and size of the fruit, an increase in local and international inflation, and excess supply in some markets.

On the cocoa side, it doesn’t go away either. According to the National Federation of Cocoa Growers (Fedecacao), production went from 69,040 tons in 2021 to 62,158 in 2022, that is, there was a 10% decrease.

Eduard Baquero, president of the union, said that said drop was mainly explained by the La Niña phenomenon. “Excess moisture caused the fungi to affect the crops. But fortunately, years ago we renewed the plantations and that somewhat mitigated the impacts”, I note.

For now, and after three years of heavy rains that have severely affected food production, Colombian agriculture must prepare for the possible arrival of an El Niño phenomenon, especially producers of crops such as coffee, citrus, vegetables and avocado.