Papaya producers from Rivas are satisfied and optimistic because the harvest in the department of Rivas has been good and this fruit has achieved high prices in the wholesale markets.
According to producers, the papaya's bonanza started in July, when the price of a dozen papayas increased to 400 and 600 C, according to the fruit's size and quality.
"The price was very low at the beginning of the year, as we were selling a dozen papayas for 100 to 200 C. However, the price began to increase after May," said Sergio Baldelomar, a producer from El Rosario, a municipality from Rivas.
According to Baldelomar, small and medium producers of Creole papaya have more than 30 hectares of papaya crops in El Rosario. These producers, he said, have benefited from the fruit's good prices and the hearty winter, which has improved the quality and performance of their plantations.
"We believe there will be good prices up until November, because we currently have an overproduction of papaya that will lead to a decrease in prices. However, things will normalize later this year once the winter harvest starts," Baldelomar said. Angel Rodriguez, a producer and gatherer of papaya, said that the municipalities of Rivas, Potosi, Bethlehem, Buenos Aires, San Jorge, and Tola were harvesting the most fruit.
"The department has about 230 hectares devoted to papaya cultivation and the base price for a dozen high quality papayas is 600 C$," said Rodriguez, who distributes 550 dozen papayas every week at Managua's wholesale market and at Masaya's Ernesto Fernandez wholesale market.
Ivan Rayo, a producer and gatherer of papayas, supplies the wholesale market and the Palí supermarket chain. According to him, he is currently marketing 500 dozen papayas per week.
Irrigation
"The price has soared, because the area being harvested is the one that was planted with irrigation systems, so it doesn't have an overproduction. However, prices will start decreasing once the winter production comes out. There's going to be a lot of fruit, especially now that we had a good winter," said Rayo.
Donald Obregon, a producer from Buenos Aires, said that not many producers had dared to plant papaya because of the droughts in 2014 and 2015. "Those who used irrigation systems were blessed with a good winter and a good harvest," he said.
According to producers, a hectare with 1,500 plants is producing 800 to 900 dozen good and medium quality papayas. Producers invest $1,000 dollars per hectare during the rainy season and the cost rises to US $2,000 if they use irrigation systems.
Source: elnuevodiario.com