The pineapple cultivated in the central region of Cuba maintains its prestige in the European market, mainly in France, Italy and Spain, thanks to its quality and size.
The province of Ciego de Avila, known as the land of the pineapple, expects to ship about 1,200 tons of MD-2 pineapples, which is very productive, sweet, has a bigger size, and a good appearance, to Europe.
Reinaldo De Avila, the head of the fruit production brigade in Ciego de Avila, said that they had produced this pineapple variety for several years.
The cultivation of pineapples demands special care, ranging from the preparation of soils to the crop's management until the fruit harvest, which is why they have the advice of Panamanian technicians, he said.
He pointed out that there currently was an increase in the collection of pineapples in the province, where pineapples have been grown for more than a century.
Last year the Ceballos agricultural business shipped 1,075 tons of pineapples to Europe, and by the end of June of 2017, they had already sent about 823 tons.
He added that they also had a mini-industry, made up mostly of women, where they canned sliced pineapples, made natural juices, nectars, jams from other fruits and guava hulls.
The Avilanian territory is the only region in Cuba that promotes the MD-2 pineapple variety, which was introduced in this territory in 2012. Today there are 96 hectares devoted to this fruit and they plan to increase the production with 81 more hectares, stated De Avila.
He also said that the Spanish Red variety, which is the most widespread in the Island, was also grown in the territory. He then said that, despite having lower yields per hectare, the Spanish Red variety was more resistant to climatic changes and required less costs.
Currently in Ciego de Avila, which is 430 kilometers east of Havana, there are about 800 hectares of pineapple of both varieties, which yielded 3,300 tons of product during the first semester, of the 7,800 tons they expect to produce this year, he said.
