Canned pineapples in Ciego de Avila returned for the third consecutive year, as a sign of strong recovery of the plantations. It is a product of high demand that replaces imports.
Processing is done by workers in the cannery of the municipality of Majagua, where natural juice, slices, segments and jams for domestic consumption and foreign exchange markets are produced.
For the current season they have agreed with Agricultura around 1,500 tons of the fruit, from which they have received more than 1,200 tons, said Angel Prieto, production manager at the center.
He added that the raw material comes largely from Villa Clara and Matanzas, and the rest is from producers of Ciego de Avila, responsible for major contributions to industrial combined Ceballos, ready to grind large volumes.
Apart from the state sector, 90 farmer families are developing pineapple crops with the commitment to collect 3,160 tons, exceeding the previous year´s amount, informed Armando Lorenzo, Agriculture specialist.
The abundant stockpiles keep the state´s agricultural markets and other outlets well supplied.
However, Beatriz Escobar a local consumer said that pineapples "are of good size, but the one I just bought cost me 9 pesos and 90 centavos, which is too high," she said.
The province has over 800 acres of this fruit, most land is conferred under usufruct through the Decree-Law 259, pointed out Alba Gonzalez engineer of the Ceballos citrus company.
She highlighted the care offered by the State and the National Association of Small Farmers, as well as the favorable weather conditions that have allowed good yields and copies of the Red Spanish variety of up to 8,82 pounds.
Among the families specialized in this crop, excel Jose Manuel Montero, Roberto Rojas and Alberto Tapia, who also have guava, mango, avocado and pomegranate crops. (By Julio Juan Leandro / AIN)