Mexico: mango ( “nayarita” variety) exports decreasing extremely

Tholen – Three years ago, the region of Bahía de Banderas was the main producer of mango in Mexico (more than 5 million boxes per year). Last year, exports were 22.000 tons and this year the volume is forecasted at only 3834 tons. Three different plagues (Aonidiella aurantii, Ceratitis capitatais, Aulacaspis tubercularis) have attacked the fruit at the moment and farmers sell their land for the construction of houses, argued Mr. Eduardo Hernández one of the representatives of the packers and exporters in the municipality. Packing companies are also leaving the region. Only two remain active in the region. Three years ago, there were six.

The subchief of the Agricultural Department at the Municipality of Bahía Banderas, Lázaro Encarnación, assured that the plage Aonidiella aurantii is controlled in 80% of the region. However, according to official figures the Aulacaspis tubercularis still attacks 50% of the 2000 hectares from the municipality.

According to the farmers, the authorities are not supporting them. Cenobio Trujillo Vega and Naftalí Hernández are farmers which asked for support but critized the technical knowledge of the authorities in the treatment of the plagues. Hernández states “mango is a good business, but the government is not helping us, they are not taking their part on the solution. Nowadays when we confront the plagues problem, they don´t know even how to treat a tree".

According to extraofficial reports, the plague Aonidiella auranti is present not only in the region of Bahía Banderas but also is propagating in Nayarit, Sinaloa and Jalisco.

Publication date: February 27 2007
Author: Jahir Lombana
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