The plantain from Chiapas, which previously only covered the regional and domestic demand, has entered new international markets; hundreds of tons are shipped to the United States and Guatemala each week.
The community of Suchiate is completely dedicated to the cultivation of this fruit and has managed to export it thanks to its quality. However, the community is worried that the new US administration might affect them.
They ship at least five containers with more than one hundred tons of plantains to the United States every week. The fruit undergoes a rigorous selection process in the collection centers of the cooperative societies of producers Obreros del Campo and Santa Patrona Maria de Guadalupe.
The representatives of those groups of producers, Roman Diaz Peñaloza and Juan Archundia Perez, said send their product in containers to the port of Veracruz, from where it is shipped by sea to Miami, Chicago, and McAllen.
Dozens of people work in the packing houses, where the fruit is treated so that it is shipped in optimum conditions and complies with the size, quality and cleanliness demanded by the destination markets and health authorities.
Exporting their product is an productive alternative for these companies, as the national markets are generally saturated and have lower prices.
They said that "the path to send our fruit to the American Union has been rough, but so far we are progressing and we've had no problems or repercussions from the new administration of Donald Trump."
The Macho plantain, produced in more than 800 hectares, is also sent to Guatemala, as producers also comply with this market's quality standards.
Source: cuartopoder.mx