Farmers of the Soconusco region in Mexico impulse the organic mango production

Agroindustrias Ecológica del Trópico "San Benito" is a Mexican organization which promotes the cultivation of the organic ​​mango Ataulfo in the Soconusco region, and is the main exporter of this certified fruit to the United States (Los Angeles) and Europe (Netherlands). Today, they count with 120 hectares of mangoes that have the organic certification.

According to Seydi Pérez García, the person in charge of the collection and commercialization of tropical fruits of the Maya Network of Organic Producers of Soconusco and Sierra, the process of production and commercialization is carried out thanks to the work of the CASFA group and associates which aim to form an organization of social and ecological responsibility that would help regional growers to market their production in a more fair and sustainable way.

The organic certification allows producers to achieve better prices in the international market, since consumers from several countries have opted for products free of agrochemicals.

According to Pérez Garcia, the work with organic mango started in 1999, when a group of five producers tired of the fraud and deceit that agrochemical companies did with their production, organized themselves in order to solve the problems they faced with their plantations.

For this reason, they requested help from CASFA to implement an alternative integrated agroecological management system because many producers were cultivating in poor soils and with low humidity, which resulted in dryness, flower abortions, trunk damage, and other problems. Worth to mention that the cultivation of organic mango is carried out with agroforestry systems in association with other crops such as coconut, banana and cocoa.

Thanks to their dedication and joint work, they applied soil strengthening technology, with fertilizers, foliar, compost, sprinkler irrigation and integration of sheep, the plantations began to produce a large quantity of fruits.

Pérez Garcia stressed that QAI (Quality Assurance International), an international organic certification company, certified organic orchards for the period 2002-2003, whose distinction has been preserved until today, thanks to the efforts of the producers.

source: diariodelsur.com.mx

photo: inforural.com.ma