Banana producers in Chiapas, affected by this year’s heavy rains and US tariffs, have requested support from the state and federal governments to improve their crops and access more affordable financing.
Brandon Altuzar, a producer and president of the marketing company Branfrut, explained that the damage has reached 50 percent across more than 2,000 hectares in Suchiate, one of the municipalities with the highest banana production in Mexico.
“We’ve had problems with the weather, as well as economic and social factors. Unfortunately, this year we had very heavy rains, more than expected, and some areas were flooded. We were also impacted by the US tariffs, which reduced our exports, and prices at the national level are very low,” he said.
The banana leader also explained that the cost of production exceeds eight pesos per kilo, while the national price is barely above six pesos. And although they have had guarantees from North American companies like Chiquita, exports have decreased by 35 percent this year compared to last year.
Altuzar maintained that producers have strengthened their organization, from small to medium-sized farms, to access resources from organizations like FIRA (Trust Funds Established in Relation to Agriculture), but not all have access and they resort to loan institutions with high interest rates. Therefore, government support is needed to improve production, raise product quality, and increase income in rural areas.
“We request support at the national and state levels to obtain more financing with lower interest rates. We also ask that the National Agrarian Registry regularize land tenure so that producers have guarantees when accessing and obtaining credit,” he added.
Hugo Juárez, a producer with over 50 years of experience, added that they also need training and technological advancements to compete in the national and international markets and face the challenges of nature, since many farmers continue to cultivate using outdated methods.
“We need to keep up to date with new scientific research. A well-nourished plant is better able to withstand climate change, and we can achieve that with better knowledge on the part of the producers,” he pointed out.
Source: jornada
