The crisis caused by the high price experienced by the Tabasco cocoa sector is not only due to the severe drought that has reduced the harvests.
Producers interviewed by Grupo Cantón indicated that theft, pests and insecurity are added to the calamities that this sector is suffering, with more than 22 thousand producers affected.
According to José Medel Córdova Pérez, producer and also deputy elected for Comalcalco, the main municipality that contributes to cocoa production, he said that pests and attacks by criminals are reducing up to 300 kilos of cocoa per hectare.
He indicated that this represents the loss of 30 percent of production, which impacts being able to supply local and national demand.
THEY LOSE 30% OF THE HARVEST
“The loss that we have evaluated is 30 percent of the harvests, it could be due to theft, pests, diseases, drought, not having the adequate production conditions. Approximately more than 300 kilos per hectare are lost per cycle,” he said.
The 2022 Agricultural Census of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) indicates that Tabasco has 91,855 hectares of cocoa cultivated, but a production of 29,690 tons, so the loss is 323 kilos per hectare.
NOT ALL THE EVIL IS DUE TO DROUGHT
Producers say there are various causes for the crisis that the cocoa sector in Tabasco is experiencing.
OTHER CAUSES • Ant theft • Theft of the grain in slime • Theft of the dry grain
PESTS • Leaf-cutting ants • Aphids • Borer • Whitefly • Mealybug and spittlebug
DISEASES • Moniliasis • Black spot • Anthracnose • Machete disease • Buboes and root rot
Source: tabascohoy
