As part of the celebration of its 53 anniversary and despite the weather events that delayed production during the first half of 2016, the Coliman Group strengthened its organic banana production.
Hurricane Patricia hit the region of Colima in October last year affecting a large number of hectares of bananas in the area and causing a great impact on the production's volume and yields from November to February. Aware of the situation, the markets knew there would be a reduced supply and were more tolerance to different standards of packaging.
The area finally recovered in March and the fruit developed better, enough to achieve the volumes and standards required by the export programs.
Despite the complicated situation in recent weeks, the state of Colima remains one of the best options to cultivate organic bananas because of very favorable weather conditions that allow producers to achieve the highest quality, such as the low precipitation levels there are in the area when compared to the areas of Tabasco and Chiapas, as well as to other countries in Central America.
Coliman is determined to seize the geopolitical location of Mexico to emulate the success that producers in other countries, like Peru, have achieved exporting organic bananas. The company owns plantations in the state of Colima, Mexico.
According to Coliman, entering the organic product market has been a long process. Coliman launched a first stage with 20% of its area devoted to new projects. They have continued to expand and they currently amount to 50% of their total production.
"One of the main challenges for organic producers is ensuring they have an adequate and strict management of agricultural practices. One of the most important aspects is field management."
The organic technology used by the company decreases soil contamination and allows regeneration of the microbial flora, resulting in a positive environmental impact of soil conservation, protection of wildlife and water use efficiency through adequate irrigation systems for organic production. Coliman's technology includes planning and monitoring for decision-making in different areas, such as phytosanitary controls and soil health, and it is complemented with seeds from the company's organic farms that are certified for the production of seedlings, ensuring that the plants maintain the genetical information of the selected mother plants.
Regarding organic trade, Coliman's plan is to achieve exporting similar quantities to the United States and to Europe and, later on, entering the Asian market.
Coliman is a Mexican company that is at the forefront of the fruits and vegetables industry. The company is celebrating its 53 years in the market and it is at its best stage regarding innovation in the production and packaging of their products and customer services and processes.
Interviewed: Jorge Angel Aguilar Jr. / COO
Interviewed: Jorge Angel Aguilar Jr. / COO
More information:
Mónica Armenta Ramírez