Cuba continues exporting pineapples to the European market, and the country plans to export some 1,200 tons of the MD-2 pineapple hybrid variety to Europe this year.
Florentino Delgado, the commercial manager of the Ministry of Agriculture in Ciego de Avila, told Prensa Latina that the main shipments would be to France, Italy, and Spain, as they have welcomed the Cuban pineapple's caliber and quality.
Delgado said that the Ceballos Citrus Company is the only company in Cuba that produces and exports this kind of pineapple, and that last year they shipped 822 tons of this fruit to Europe.
The company, which is located in Ciego de Avila, about 430 kilometers east of Havana, has employees that have been trained to meet the established parameters so that the product reaches its destination with the quality that the markets demand.
Pineapple crops require special care throughout the production process, so the company has received advice from Panamanian technicians that are experts in this crop.
Ciego de Avila has been cultivating the MD-2 pineapple variety, which is highly productive, for several years. This variety has a high demand in the world because it is sweeter and juicier than other varieties, and because of its brix degrees and acidity; qualities that make it an exceptional product.
Cielo de Avila is known as the land of pineapples because of the large tracts of land dedicated to pineapple production and because they have been producing this crop for over one hundred years.
Currently, there are pineapple crops all throughout Cuba because of a national diversification program to supply the local markets, the touristic sector, and increase revenues by exporting juices, sweets, and fresh fruit.
Source: presa-latina.cu