The main fruit cooperatives began collecting mango in the province of Santiago de Cuba, where the harvest will reach its maturation peaks in late May and June this year.
The first collections started in the vicinity of the town of El Caney, which produces fruits that are famous for their quality and where there is an industrial complex for the production of pulp destined to the domestic market and sliced mango to substitute imports.
Basili Leyva, the president of the Martires de El Caney Cooperative in that locality, said the mango was their main crop and that this year's productive potential stood at two thousand tons, which would be marketed through Tourism, Collection and industries, as well as through small industries of the municipalities in Santiago de Cuba.
The 217 members of the Cooperative are also working to increasing the areas sown to encourage the cultivation of other crops, such as pineapple, papaya, dwarf guava, cañandonga, and tamarind crops.
According to the producers, the first rains in May will accelerate the fruit's ripening, which will force workers to make a greater effort so that they can avoid having losses.
Pedro Tellez, who runs a farm, said that, even though it hadn't been a good year because of the drought, they had cultivated the crops with ecological techniques that conserve soils, such as barriers, natural fertilizers, mounding soil around the base of the more than 500 trees in their property, and in the self-consumption spaces.
For the time being, consumers can find different varieties of mango in the state agricultural markets, as part of the assortment is intended for the priority social consumption centers, especially schools and public health agencies.
Waldemar Garcia, director of the collection company in the province, said the conditions were given to successfully face the maturation peaks in the summer months without incurring losses. He also said they could guarantee containers for the field and the transportation of the product.
The greatest concentration of mango in the area of Santiago takes place in the town of El Caney, and the municipalities of Songo-La Maya and Palma Soriano. According to estimates, El Caney will produce more than 13,000 tons of mango this campaign.
Source: siarramaestra.cu