Electricidad (CFE) is cutting off the electric supply of the refrigerators of apple producers. This year's harvest, which is expected to amount to nearly 500,000 tons, could be at risk because there would be no where to store it.
The power cuts are happening in the northwestern part of the state of Chihuahua in towns such as Namiquipa, Madera, Cuauhtémoc and Casas Grandes, among others. The power is being cut as the producers are behind on payments because of the problems created last year by the excessive import of American apple, which prevented the marketing of local produce, said local deputy Javier Mendoza Valdez.
Mendoza Valdez said that, at the last meeting of the permanent council, both deputy Agueda Torres Varela and himself had proposed the CFE were required to suspend the power shortages for the refrigerators; proposal that was endorsed by the Legislature, so they sent the document to the CFE managers.
Mendoza Valdez explained that Chihuahua's apple sector had lost 80,000 tons of apples last year as a result of the American fruit invasion, which consequently led the sector to fall behind on payments to the CFE.
The legislator stated that the CFE started cutting the electric service in several municipalities weeks ago and that the apple producers are really worried because they won't be able to store and keep the fruit they harvest this summer fresh.
Mendoza said they were looking for a solution to this issue. Last week, he said, he had met with apple producers and the Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food, Enrique Martínez y Martínez, to ask him to consider the refrigerators as part of the orchard so that the CFE can lower the cost of energy used to store the product.
Source: El Financiero