The high temperatures that have hit Sinaloa in the last months have affected the flowering of mango trees in the south of the state, which caused a drop in production, said Porfirio Salas Castillo, the president of the Municipal Committee of Escuinapa.
He also said that production had gone from 190 thousand tons three years ago, to 165 thousand tons in 2017.
This year's total production, of all mango varieties, it is estimated, will oscillate between 100 and 120 thousand tons, i.e. an 80 percent decrease in production.
The agricultural leader said they had realized the production that was in the market was low when they started cutting the fruit. "There isn't much fruit and we're sure that with the current prices we won't make enough to cover the investment we made in the maintenance of the orchards," he said.
He also said the state of the mango orchards was critical due to the lack of water, which wasn't enough for the maintenance of the trees.
Actions
Salas Castillo, said the drought would affect the development of next year's production, as more than one tree will dry up. The only thing that could save next year's production would be that the rainy season started early.
Faced with this situation, the mango producers will request support from the Secretary of Agriculture, Baltazar Hinojosa, specifically for the maintenance of their orchards.
He also said that if they didn't receive support from the federal government they were willing to hold a demonstration to demand the government address this issue and helps them.
Marketing
Even though the production of this fruit is scarce, the price of mangoes doesn't really represent a problem for producers.
The agricultural leader said the packers had previously made contracts with the producers of Sinaloa, and that the Ataulfo variety was quoted at 5 pesos, while the Tommy variety stood at 4.50 pesos per box.
Source: debate.com.mx