Banana producers in Tecomán are facing one of the most difficult periods for the sector, currently selling below the cost of production. This situation has plunged the banana industry into crisis and, according to producer Jorge González, could be linked to national market distortions, including the long-standing issue of so-called “huachicol” bananas coming from the southern border.
González explained that it currently costs around 4 pesos to produce a kilo of bananas, while the market is only paying about 3, generating direct losses for those who cultivate them. However, the concern lies not only in the low price, but also in the fact that this situation is contradictory, even in a context where national production is not experiencing oversupply.
He indicated that some time ago, the possibility was raised within the sector that the irregular entry of bananas across the country’s southern border had contributed to lowering prices in the national market, directly affecting Mexican producers. “It was said that stolen bananas were coming in from the southern border, and that this was driving down the price of what we produce nationally,” he explained.
Currently, there is a perception that this phenomenon may have decreased, he said; however, González warned that uncertainty persists among producers because this supposed containment has not translated into a real price recovery. “They say it’s no longer happening, but there’s no certainty because we don’t see it reflected in the prices,” he stated.
In addition, he commented, there has been a visible decrease in consumption at wholesale markets, where he has observed fewer buyers not only of bananas but of fruit in general, suggesting a broader commercial slowdown.
The producer pointed out that this combination of factors puts the agricultural sector in a particularly vulnerable position, since while regions like Tecomán face higher costs due to their own production conditions, they must compete with national prices set by other producing areas like Chiapas or Tabasco. “If we defend a higher price here, the buyers will simply go to other states,” he explained.
Jorge González argued that this problem requires national attention, as he considered any local effort insufficient when market rules affect different producing regions unequally.
Finally, he lamented that, within this commercial chain, it is the producer who ends up absorbing the greatest losses, while distributors and intermediaries maintain higher margins, because the end consumer continues to pay stable prices.
Source: elcomentario.ucol
