The President of the Pineapple Product System, Jose Ramirez Meza, said that 80% of the pineapple products didn't have a fixed market because there was no organization among pineapple producers, a situation that affected them economically.
He said that only 20% of the more than 500 producers in Tuxtepec and Loma Bonita had a selling contract, i.e. they had signed an agreement with companies or stores to deliver them some pineapples on a daily basis.
However, sometimes producers can't comply with the contracts because of a lack of product, which forces them to buy pineapples and resell them, or to sell their products with no contracts. This last option can affect them because, in the absence of a contract, prices can vary depending on the existing production.
Ramirez Mesa said that pineapple crops had also been affected by the drought, which is why producers were covering the pineapple fields with shade cloths so that the sun doesn't affect the fruits.
Moreover, he said, producers are trying to benefit from irrigation systems; however, since they don't have the permission of the National Water Commission (Conagua), one of the important requirements needed to receive this benefit, they have not been able to achieve it.
Source: tvbus.tv