State farmers are responsible for the planting, cultivation, and harvest of a product that has a high demand in Cuba and abroad because of its quality, even though Hurricane Irma and the subsequent damages of the last few months delayed the development and affected supplies, stated engineer Reinaldo de Avila Guerra, the director of the Base Business Unit dedicated to this work.
The MD-2 pineapple is the most desired variety in the European continent. It was introduced into Ciego de Avila in 2012 and it is the only variety with more than one hundred hectares in Cuba; the remaining surfaces are covered by the Spanish Red variety, which is also grown in other provinces.
Avila Guerra said that they had abundant plantings of both varieties, technical resources, and the desire to work. The small factories and the Agroindustrial Ceballos company currently process the fruit for sale in local markets, the tourist market, squares and other points of interest.
Specialists of Agriculture stressed that having two types of pineapple is a great advantage, as the MD-2 produces up to 88 tons per hectare, while the other variety does not surpass 25 tons per hectare, but is more resistant to climate change and demands less inputs.
Producers opened a small industry called Ernesto Che Guevara in the south of Ciego de Avila for the purpose of having the largest pineapple production in this area. Every day, this company packs a total of 1,300 cans of pineapple slices in syrup of 3.2 kilograms each, and 4,000 cans of half a kilogram, which are very desired in all the provinces.
Ciego de Avila sells its fruits, fresh or canned, to the tourist centers, such as Jardines del Rey, Varadero, and Havana, among other places, which generates income for the agricultural progress.
From 2013 to date, Ciego de Avila has shipped more than 3,700 tons of MD-2 pineapples to Spain, Italy, and France. The fruit, which is sweeter and juicier than the Spanish Red variety, is certified with the Global-GAP international standard.
The pineapple destined for export is handled carefully from the field to the packing center, where it is classified according to its size, acidity and homogeneous color, and later packed so it reaches its final destination in perfect conditions, said Pedro Diaz, an engineer of Agriculture.
The fruit that isn't suitable for export is processed at a small industry, where it is used to make pineapple slices, nectars, and jams for distribution in the domestic market and in the tourism sector.
Source: Cuban News Agency
