The area planted with kiwis, bananas and mangoes in Argentina has had a big increase in recent years thanks to the support of the National Agricultural Technology Institute (INTA) in different areas where each production is carried out.
For starters, kiwi has one of the most profitable productions and growth potential in Argentina. There are currently an estimated 800 hectares of kiwi in the country, of which about 50% is in the southeast of the province of Buenos Aires, which is typically a wheat belt, but due to the problems marketing cereal, producers are looking for alternatives.
Due to its climatic conditions, proximity to the sea and easy access to markets, this area has a great potential for kiwi crops, so there has been an increase in the area planted with this fruit and of the services needed for it, i.e. there are new packing plants and cold storage chambers.
Even though the area planted has doubled in the last 10 years, about 60% of the fruit consumed is imported.
"The need to form an association and have a quality protocol that allowed us to obtain and certify a high quality product that could be differentiated in the market was a priority," said Alejandra Yommi, from INTA Balcarce, Buenos Aires.
In recent year, INTA has helped kiwi growers to adjust harvest rates, prolong shelf life (up to 6 months so they can compete with the Italian kiwi in the counter-season), reduce losses and improve quality.
While production today aims at supplying the local market, "there is an unmet international demand that is very important, so there are high possibilities of growth in the production area for this fruit," said Yommi.
On the other hand, tropical and subtropical fruit production has a strong impact on the economies of the NOA and NEA. These regions produce 115,530 tons of these fruits, which include pineapple, papaya, avocado, banana and mango. Tropical fruit are an alternative to vegetables and citrus, and require significant labour throughout the year because of the increase in volume registered.
The cultivation of bananas in Argentina occupies about 3,780 hectares in Salta, Jujuy, Formosa, and Misiones and yields a volume of 84,050 tons a year. A trial from the INTA found that, using the precise combination of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, it was possible to double the production of bananas. Francisco Scribano, from the Institute for Research and Development of Family Agriculture (IPAF) NEA, stated they had achieved "above average yields in the region, which stands at 20 tons per hectare."
In this regard, he said: "We have obtained 46". 89% of the 1,500 hectares planted with bananas in this area is owned by almost 500 small-scale farmers that, on average, have about five acres. Severiano Cabrera, a producer from Laguna Naineck (Formosa), said that as a result of that investigation volumes and quality were very good.
Finally, mango production is primarily located in the NOA, with excellent growth prospects, especially in Pedemonte of Salta and Jujuy. Currently, there are about 500 hectares with an average yield of 1,500 kilos per hectare and an annual average of 7,500 tons, with a gross income of $37.5 million dollars.
INTA Yuto has a genebank of mango varieties and mango rootstocks from Spain, Peru and Brazil, which is unique in the country. Currently, the producing farms have elite varieties in international markets: Tomy Atkins, Osteen, Kent, and Keitt.
This culture is an alternative with excellent growth prospects, which has allowed producers to have an optimistic outlook in the short term to market their mangoes in various urban centres of Argentina with excellent quality and health. To obtain a quality mango, INTA seeks to determine rates of fruit maturity, postharvest, prevention, management and control of diseases and pests.
An example of this is the work being carried out against the anthracnose (Colletotrichun gloesporoides), a disease that causes severe damage to the crop and reduces its market value and yield per unit area. The results allowed 90% lower incidence.
Source: Clarin