Where did the input crisis originate and what to do to mitigate its impact? [Spanish]

ABSTRACT

This article examines the increase in prices of farm inputs (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and fertilizers) in 2021 and the reasons for the increase, including the rise in energy costs, the disruption caused by outbreaks of new variants of COVID-19, and the increase in international freight prices. It is concluded that there are definitely external factors, beyond local control, that are drastically affecting the prices of farm inputs, a situation that directly harms the Colombian agri-food market by significantly increasing production costs due to the high dependence on imported products and raw materials necessary in the national agrochemical and fertilizer industry. There is a need to implement technologies and cultivation practices that lead to the reduction and/or rationalization in the use of inputs, seeking to reduce production costs and increase yields.