The avocado came down 25 percent this season (8-10 pesos a kilo) when it was believed that producers would recover. Discouragement is strongly felt because in December payment of 6 pesos per kilo is expected. Alongside this, producers need to speed up the export process because the U.S. receives avocados from other countries, and production increases. "The other option, so we can do well, is to increase domestic consumption," said Enrique Bustamante Castañeda, an avocado producer.
"This is because many producers were left with fruit from last season, and when the cut of the flower began from June to July, there were still black avocados on the trees (more than a thousand tons)."
To accelerate exports to the U.S., producers are discussing the idea of enrolling more partners in the Local Board for Plant Health so as to release the township of Zitácuaro, and sell to that country.
The three requirements demanded by APEAM (Association of Avocado Producers and Packers of Michoacán) to export, are to have total control of the bone screw worm and total control over the branch screw worm in export orchards and that 90 percent of producers are enrolled in the Local Board of Health.
"We meet the first requirement, since there isn`t any bone screw worm in Zitácuaro, yet there are branch screw worms, but the producers are controlling that situation (there are 8 percent of orchards with this pest, especially those that are abandoned)" confirmed Enrique Bustamante.
Source: La voz de Michoacán