Even though strawberry production in Corrientes is an emerging industry, the incorporation of appropriate technology for small producers will allow producers to have early harvests with a higher quality and more efficiently, which will help them open up new markets.
The technical recommendations for their development were presented at INTA Exhibits and Posadas, Misiones. Roberto Pacheco, horticultural specialist from INTA Bella Vista, Corrientes, said the strawberry was "a crop that had a great production potential and high demand for labour."
He stressed the advantages of incorporating appropriate technology: "The use of protective materials -plastic or thermal blankets -or the construction of homebuilt structures- macro-tunnels and greenhouses- allow us to get early crops that are healthier, more productive and have a higher quality, which will allow us to win markets and regionally position Corrientes as a major strawberry producing area."
The specialist said that, "Multipurpose micro-tunnels for horticultural crops are intended for the protection and safe storage of the production," while also highlighting the simplicity and low cost of them. Micro-tunnels or macro-tunnels (depending on their size) are simple and inexpensive protective structures that can get to be 1.20 meters high and 2.20 meters wide and can be covered by a polyethylene or anti-hail mesh.
Among the advantages, Pacheco said that it was a tool that could be "installed and removed easily, a feature that enabled changing its location or storage without major complications."
Installing it requires a low initial investment because the inputs are affordable and there is no need for skilled labour. "To build 40 micro-tunnels on a hectare one requires 25 to 30 workers," he said.