Oportunidad comercial para la papa y los snacks de papa derivada de la relación comercial entre Colombia y Panamá

Abstract

Fresh potato and potato snacks are consolidating as products with export potential to the rest of the world. The objective of this research is to identify the business opportunities for marketing potato snacks and fresh potatoes to Panama if the FTA with that country is fully approved. To this end, the study presents an analysis of the production, area, and yield of fresh potatoes to show the trend of these indicators as an important source of inputs for the production of snacks. It also describes the activities of the value chain of each of the two products understudy, that of potato-based on a semi-structured interview with a farmer from Tuta in Boyacá, and that of processed foods based on the synthesis of information for producing companies. Finally, the results of the commercial activity in the commercial relationship with Panama are shown and the Indices of Revealed Comparative Advantage are calculated to evidence processes of relative specialization in the commercial relationship with that country and its relation with the advantage that can be generated, analyzing the experience in foreign trade and providing at the same time a panorama of future exports focused on the constant growth of the index to strengthen competitiveness strategies.