The HLB pest reduced Oaxaca's lime production by 50,000 tons, which accounts for 40 percent of the state's total. The pest is currently present in 2 thousand hectares of citrus, i.e. 20 percent of the plantations. As a result, lime prices have increased, stated the representative of the citrus product system of Oaxaca civil association, Joaquin Fernandez Grajales.
He said that Oaxaca was the country's third biggest producer of Mexican and Persian limes, and that the presence of the plague reverberates in the price because it decreased the production.
He also said that the HLB, which is an abbreviation for Huanglongbing, a word of Chinese origin meaning yellow bud disease, affected all citrus fruits. The HLB disease, which attacks various citrus fruits, such as lime, orange, grapefruit and lemon grass, was only detected in Mexico in July 2009.
He also said that Oaxaca produced two varieties of lime: Mexican lime, in 8 thousand hectares in la Costa and 2 thousand hectares in La Cañada; as well as Persian lime, in 14 thousand hectares in la Cuenca de Papaloapam. The state produces 250 thousand tons of Mexican lime.
The Mexican lime, be it creole or polina, is small and has seed; while the Persian lime is large, doesn't have seeds and is less sour, he said.
The lowest lime production takes place in December, January, and February, "but now this plague has even increased these periods. That's why prices have increased so much, and they will continue to be high in the next few years."
In addition, he said, the law of supply and demand also drove citrus prices up. "Limes must be at 6 pesos per kilo, the maximum price we have historically reached is 15 pesos a kilo on la Costa."
He also said that the Department of Plant Protection of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) had a permanent campaign to support producers. The unit responsible for this campaign in la Costa is the Local Board of Plant Health of Santa Rosa de Lima and, in la Cuenca, the boards of Tuxtepec and Maria Lombardo de Caso.
"Since there is no chemical or natural insecticide to combat this pest, the orchards are monitored and producers are given recommendations to manage it."
Source: nvinoticias.com