Mexico
could be ready to export bananas to China by the end of August this year, said the head of the National Service of Health, Food Safety and Quality (SENASICA) , Enrique Sánchez Cruz .
"We hope that, before the end of August, we are ready to export," stated the agency official of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) .
He hoped that before that date the signing of the export protocol of the fruit to the Asian nation will be carried out, giving producers the opportunity to integrate to other markets in more competitive conditions.
Mexico exported 464 thousand tons of the yellow fruit
, with an estimated value of 195.5 million dollars in 2016 , according to data from that agency.
It is estimated that two million 835 thousand tons of plantain are produced each year in Mexico. Chiapas is the main producer with 716 thousand tons , followed by Tabasco, with 610 thousand tons , and Veracruz, with 325 thousand tons .
Data from the Agroalimentary Atlas 2017 , prepared by the Agri-Food and Fisheries Information Service (SIAP) , show that the main buyer of bananas is the United States, with 70.1 percent , followed by the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Japan , which together add up to a little more than 20.1 percent .
Sánchez Cruz recalled that Chinese health technicians had already visited some of the country's production areas, and commented that "the inspectors had a very good impression of the production areas."
In turn, the president of the National Council of Producers of Banana, Adrián Prats Leal , said: "We are taking firm steps in the consolidation of our exports and I consider that there is a good business opportunity because China offers us good prices."
In a recent interview, he stressed that this alternative will offer a broad range of opportunities for producers in Pacific Central Mexico because the fruit can depart from the commercial port of Manzanillo , considered one of the most important due to its cargo imports and exports capacity.
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