Michoacan ranked as Mexico's sixth biggest plantain producer with 121,297 tons. The main producing municipalities in Michoacan are Coahuayana, Aquila, and Lazaro Cardenas.
Francisco Huergo Maurin, Secretary of Rural Development and Agricultural Food of the Government of Michoacan (SEDRUA), highlighted that the cultivation of this fruit in the state was of the utmost importance for the region's development, as it generates a significant number of jobs and economic benefits.
He said that, like many other crops, plantain was affected by various pests and diseases that reduced yields and lowered quality.
Thus, he said, the Local Boards of Plant Protection would work this year on phytosanitary matters and integrated pest management to eradicate and control the pests that affected this fruit, such as nematode worms, black sigatoka, and others.
The plantain production is mainly located in the south of the country, although it is cultivated in 16 states. Chiapas, Tabasco, and Veracruz account for 72 percent of the total volume harvested.
Globally, Mexico is the 12th biggest producer of plantains with an annual output of 2,127,000 tons, i.e. 2% of the world's total production.
The production value of the national plantain harvest is similar to the total amount of money that four million tourists spend each year in the towns of Mexico.
The states of Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, and Sinaloa also have optimal conditions to produce plantains; however this crop still hasn't been completely exploited.
Currently, China, Argentina, and Ukraine are the largest importers of plantain and they could be potential buyers for Mexico.
India is the biggest producer of plantain worldwide with 27,575,000 tons.
Source: quadratin.com.mx