Honduras: New record melon exports

The exports estimation for 2011-2012 season might be around 300 million kilos and the generated currency around 60 million dollars. Despite the adverse effects of the weather and the world economic situation in the last years, the Honduran melon industry managed to set new records on exports.

It's expected that the numbers will be repeated in the 2011-2012 harvest, despite the strong floods in the Southern area of the country - Choluteca and Valle - delaying this fruit cultivation by 2 months meaning it will start at the begining of December.

In the previous harvest they managed to export 291,313,000 kilos, with an average price of US$0.19 per kilo, generating US$53,990,800.

For the 2011-2012 season, it's estimated that the exported amount might be around 300 million kilos, generating US$60 millions.

Prices in the international market vary between US$0.18 and US$0.20 per kilo. According to executives from the Hondex and Agrolíbano exporters, projections are good.

They added that the cultivation was done in steps as there were producing regions in Choluteca and Valle that were still flooded in the first days of December of last year, meaning preparation of the fields was done gradually.

Honduras keep a strong presence in the international market with the cantaloupe variety in the United States, while in the European Union, Galia and Honeydew are the commercialized varieties. Between 60% to 70% of the cultivated fruit in Choluteca and Valle is exported to the US.

Source: Elheraldo.hn