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Colombian Wholesale Food Supply Set Record Highs During May
Posted On July 7, 2025
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Tag: armenia, bananas, Beans, bogotá, boyaca, cabbage, cali, Carrots, cauca, celery, cereals, corn, cucumber, dairy products, dora inés rey, eggs, fish, fruit, garlic, grains, green peas, Ipiales, lettuce, manizales, meat, medellin, Nariño, onions, paprika, pumpkins, roots, santa marta, Tibasosa, Tomatoes, tubers, UPRA, valle del cauca, vegetables, villavicencio
In May 2025, 654,252 tons of food entered the country’s main wholesale centers, the highest volume recorded since this measurement was systematically carried out (January 2013). The increase was 6.8% compared to the same month in 2024, consolidating a growth trend in the supply and availability of fresh and processed foods in the country’s cities.
This positive performance was reflected in 16 of the 23 cities with reference wholesale markets, with especially notable increases in Tibasosa (67.8%), Manizales (29.2%), Villavicencio (15.3%), Armenia (12.5%), Medellín (11.3%), and Bogotá (8.4%). Although there were reductions in some points, such as Ipiales (-25.4%) and Santa Marta (-22.8%), the national balance was largely positive.
By food groups, the greatest dynamism was in processed foods (15.3%), grains and cereals (12.8%), fish (10.2%), dairy products and eggs (9.2%) and tubers, roots and bananas (7.0%). Fruit (5.9%) and vegetables (4.4%) also increased. Only the meat group showed a slight decrease (-1.7%).
“This data confirms that the countryside is responding to the country’s food demand. To plan efficiently, we need to know what is coming, from where, and in what quantities. Technical monitoring of supply is key to guaranteeing food security and guiding production from rural territories,” said Dora Inés Rey, director of the UPRA.
In the group of vegetables, 180,620 tons entered, with outstanding behaviors in the supply of beans (33.9%), corn (32%), celery (19.4%), garlic (18.8%), cucumber (17%) and peppers (16.2%). Increases were also reported in carrots, onions, beans and other vegetables. On the other hand, the entry of green peas, cabbage, tomatoes, onions, pumpkins and lettuce decreased.
In the case of Cali, one of the main receiving cities, 42% of the volume of vegetables came from Valle del Cauca, followed by Nariño (22.8%), Bogotá (16.3%), Boyacá (14.3%) and Cauca (2%), evidencing the articulation between producing regions and urban markets.
Onions. Photo credit: moviedo from Pixabay.
