Since the HLB was detected in the state's lemon crops, production has declined by up to 60 percent, as the annual harvest went from 500,000 tons to less than 200,000 tons.
However, producers are achieving a recovery with new techniques and want to position Colima as the leading producer of lemon in the country again, stated the leader of the State Lemon Council, Oscar Avalos.
"In 2016 we've been able to implement what researchers have been sharing. As a result we now have almost 400,000 tons of production. So, despite the presence of the HLB, Colima is once again producing the same as before."
The twelfth international Citrus symposium will be held from November 9th to the 11th at the central campus of INIFAP, in Tecoman, so that producers can share their experiences with foreign producers of citrus and with researchers.
"There will be speakers from Florida, Europe, and Brazil, who will speak about the critical cases they had in their countries. Let's not forget that Brazil was the first producer of orange worldwide, and that the HLB can destroy thousands of hectares of orange crops."
Other topics to be discussed in the symposium include industrialization, marketing, agricultural traceability, and the use of drones and modern technology to identify areas of opportunity for crops, fruit, and damage.
