The ash thrown up by Colima's Volcano after each explosion spreads at least 30 kilometers.
The volcanic material damages crops in Colima and Jalisco
"The ash affects blackberry, blueberry, coffee crops, and the avocado that some farmers have in the municipality of Cuauhtémoc," said Jesus Plascencia, Director of Agriculture and Forestry Promotion of Colima.
Thirty eight producers in the municipality of Cuauhtémoc, which is nearly 17 kilometers from the city of Colima, have been affected.
"The amount of ash and the damage it causes to our crops depends on the size of the explosion. The ash reacts with the wind and it burns the fruit," said Luis Enrique Guardado, a producer of blackberry.
After a rain of volcanic ash, blackberry crops are washed with soap and water using pump sprayers.
According to estimates, producers need 3000 liters of water per hectare to clean their crops from the ash.
"The ash is stuck and it is very difficult to remove. We try to remove it well because the fruit looks bad and because it affects photosynthesis and the plant has less production," said Luis Enrique Guardado.
Usually the ripe fruit does not withstand washing and is lost.
"The fruit that can't be completely clean is no longer marketed and producers lose it," said Jesus Plascencia, director of Agriculture and Forestry of Colima.
The ash has affected 150 hectares of fruit and about 300 hectares of forest in the municipality of Cuauhtémoc.
Source: noticieros.televisa.com