Honduran melon production for the 2012-2013 harvest will have a better performance, which producers expect to result in increased foreign exchange earnings for the country.
Medardo Galindo, head of agricultural exporters, explained that "we expect an increase of up to 5 and 10% of production, and action against SPS problems that have occurred are already being carried out."
Galindo said that "crop growth remains unchanged, simply there are improvements in production and in the performance."
If this improvement is confirmed, the country will accentuate an upward curve in production; while in 2009-2010 harvest 1.100 boxes were achieved, in the next period it went up to 1300.
If the current prices stay around USD 19 cents per kilogram, revenues are expected to increase by 5% compared to the previous harvest, when the country ended with USD 49.5 million, even though it was expected for it to be 52 million.
This decrease was due mainly to lower exports. According to exporters, the traded volume in markets in the United States, the European Union and Central America was around 260 million kilograms lower than the 283 million of the 2010-2011 harvest.
Producers believe that with the entry into force of the Associativity Agreement with the European Union "agricultural exports could grow to that continent," said Galindo.
The melon crop starts in September and October and the harvest is obtained in early December. The cultivated areas are mainly concentrated in the departments of Choluteca and Comayagua.
Source: Laprensa.hn