Ziracuaretiro produces an average of 10 tons of avocados per hectare, a production that is exported mainly to the United States, Europe and Japan, said Municipal President Carlos Sandoval Portugal.
In an interview with Notimex, Sandoval Portugal said the avocado was one of the most important products of Michoacan, which changed its production almost half a century ago from a Creole variety, which had a smooth skin, to the Fuerte variety, which was brought from California, United States.
However, he continued, this variety does not have the resistance that the Hass avocado has, so we've started the process of planting this variety but at this region's altitude, i.e. at sea level, when the ideal is to plant it at about 1,600 meters, he said.
"The higher it is above sea level, the colder weather it can withstand until May, June and July; that is, it can last up to a year in the tree, since it is flower to when it becomes a fruit," the local official stated.
He added that the product is mainly exported to the United States and that their last production, which began in July 2013 and ended in June 2014, had amounted to 750,000 tons, more than 600,000 of which were exported to the U.S., but that there had also been exports to Europe and Japan.
"There are 3,500 hectares, which produce about 35,000 tons, of avocado planted and registered in this municipality," he said.
Source: lavozdemichoacan.com.mx