Cuba: Mango harvest Santiago de Cuba begins

Cuba: Mango harvest Santiago de Cuba begins

The main fruit cooperatives began collecting mango in the province of
Santiago de Cuba, where the harvest will reach its maturation peaks in
late May and June this year.

The first collections started in the vicinity of the town of El Caney,
which produces fruits that are famous for their quality and where there
is an industrial complex for the production of pulp destined to the
domestic market and sliced mango to substitute imports.

Basili Leyva, the president of the Martires de El Caney Cooperative in
that locality, said the mango was their main crop and that this year's
productive potential stood at two thousand tons, which would be marketed
through Tourism, Collection and industries, as well as through small
industries of the municipalities in Santiago de Cuba.

The 217 members of the Cooperative are also working to increasing the
areas sown to encourage the cultivation of other crops, such as
pineapple, papaya, dwarf guava, cañandonga, and tamarind crops.

According to the producers, the first rains in May will accelerate the
fruit's ripening, which will force workers to make a greater effort so
that they can avoid having losses.

Pedro Tellez, who runs a farm, said that, even though it hadn't been a
good year because of the drought, they had cultivated the crops with
ecological techniques that conserve soils, such as barriers, natural
fertilizers, mounding soil around the base of the more than 500 trees in
their property, and in the self-consumption spaces.

For the time being, consumers can find different varieties of mango in
the state agricultural markets, as part of the assortment is intended
for the priority social consumption centers, especially schools and
public health agencies.

Waldemar Garcia, director of the collection company in the province,
said the conditions were given to successfully face the maturation peaks
in the summer months without incurring losses. He also said they could
guarantee containers for the field and the transportation of the product.

The greatest concentration of mango in the area of Santiago takes place
in the town of El Caney, and the municipalities of Songo-La Maya and
Palma Soriano. According to estimates, El Caney will produce more than
13,000 tons of mango this campaign.


Source: siarramaestra.cu

Publication date: 5/17/2016

Source: Cuba: Mango harvest Santiago de Cuba begins -
http://www.freshplaza.com/article/157937/Cuba-Mango-harvest-Santiago-de-Cuba-begins