The low temperatures have literally frozen the strawberries produced in Irapuato.
Fidel Zavala Garcia, the secretary of the Asociación Pro Mercado de la Fresa, stated that more than 900 hectares of the 1,700 hectares devoted to strawberry production in Irapuato had been affected by the low temperatures, particularly those plots where this fruit is still being produced traditionally.
"Irapuato has more or less 1,700 hectares devoted to this production, 50% of them are technified with macro tunnel irrigation and padding. The rest still produce the strawberries in a traditional manner, and those are the crops that have been affected the most.
Fidel Zavala said that strawberry production normally decreased in the winter season.
"It decreases a lot because of the weather. There is not so much sun, there are no more rains and production decreases considerably. This winter, however, has been quite strong for strawberry production and there have been a lot of losses due to frost."
One can easily see the effects in the fields. The strawberry flower, which is usually white, is black because the cold has burned it.
"The burned plants are not going to produce anymore. Producers could save 10% of the crops, but that won't be enough for them to recover the investments they made," said Fidel Zavala Garcia.
Source: elsoldelcentro.com.mx
