The changing climate and other challenges have a negative impact on the volume of fruit and vegetables grown and exported from Honduras. Julio Cesar Pineda, general manager of the oriental vegetables grower and exporter Agromar in Honduras, says "The main challenges are migration, climate change, and the cost of air and maritime transport."
The company USA Agromar is the parent company of Agromar Fresh in Costa Rica, and Agromar Honduras. Their brands, Agromar and Vecosa, are known in key markets. The company grows American and Hindu okra, Chinese eggplant, long squash, karela, rambutan, habanero pepper, yucca, and tubers. José Maradiag is the CEO of the Agromar Fresh companies in Honduras and Costa Rica. Daniel Miranda is the general manager of Agromar Fresh in Costa Rica.
Agromar exports between 30-40 containers of the oriental vegetables per week to the USA, Canada, UK, Spain, Italy and France. "Our volumes are variable, but regularly they can reach between 30-40 containers between sea and air freight per week," says Pineda.
He says they grow 250 ha of okra, 50 hectares of Asian vegetables, 15 hectares of Rambutan, and tubers which are grown on a 200 hectare farm in Costa Rica. Agromar's operations are located in Choluteca Honduras and La Tigra, San Carlos Costa Rica.
The impact of climate change and other factors play a bigger role by impacting the harvest volumes says Pineda. Honduras also faces migration challenges while the cost of air and shipping has increased rapidly in recent years. Their biggest volume of fruit exports are melon and bananas, with growers of these fruit seeing volumes impacted due to the changing climate. "Honduras exports around 25 products including fruits and vegetables, the most important by volumes are melon and bananas, the latter have reduced their exports due to situations of climate change," explains Pineda.
For more information:
José Maradiag
Agromar USA
[email protected]
Julio Cesar Pineda
Agromar Honduras
[email protected]