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Holguín Plans to Export Hot Pepper

  • Published in Holguin
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aji picante 1Photos: Carlos Rafael
 
The agricultural sector in Holguín works to increase exportable items, in addition to tobacco, coffee, cocoa, honey and charcoal. It will also include hot pepper, a crop that is rescued in the Holguín Business Unit “Módulo Mayabe Uno,” belonging to the Wilfredo Peña Horticultural Company, located in El Valle de Mayabe, in this eastern city.
 
Designed to produce vegetables in farms, semi-protected areas and plots of land, aimed at satisfying the tourist demand, the "Wilfredo Peña" also promoted the aforementioned task in the past, but, for different reasons, this work was lost.

To deepen the subject, the local newspaper ahora.cu spoke with Feliberto Piñero, head of the Unit.

aji picante 3
 
Piñero explained that "in this Module we export our hot pepper production to Canada. Each month, we exceeded the ton and it was sent by air to that northern country.”

This variety of hot pepper is also known as Chile Habanero and on that occasion, we had the yellow one. Almost two years ago, this type of exports was stopped, due to lack of conditions, mainly the scarcity of covers. "

When will export be resumed?
 
"We want to return to that practice in a greenhouse with an area of 0.26 hectares. After 70 days, approximately, the production begins to be collected. That is, around December 20 we must make the first export, which can be around 300 kilos. "
 
aji picante 2
 
Will Canada remain the main market?
 
"Canada will continue to be the priority destination, although the Cítrico Caribe Company is open to the entire world, since it defines the markets.

We plan the sowing of another similar area in January, April and August, to keep the whole year exporting at approximately 1.5 or 1.6 tons per month. "
 
Which are the characteristics of an exportable fruit?
 
"We evaluate the color of the Chile Habanero, whose intense red has to be bright. However, we are introducing other parameters, including some of verification in laboratories, such as the level of spicy of the fruit, because this is taken into account internationally.”

"This last aspect can be improved with the application of specific fertilizers, such as potassium sulfate. Right now, the variety we develop is red, but we want to add yellow. Each pepper oscillates in its weight between 18 and 30 grams ".

But exporting is not limited to work in farming houses...
 
"We keep the harvest in boxes of about three kilos. Packaging is done in about of 30 boxes. These packages go directly to the airport of Holguín. At the time of packaging are present representatives of the Provincial Plant Health and Customs to watch over freshness, safety and weight of the product ".
 
Does the "Wilfredo Peña" foresee other crops for export in the future?
 
"Our company is immersed in the preparation of documentation for the export of turmeric (seasoning), persian lemon, avocado and other crops. In other productive poles, there are possibilities for promoting these items, which could be included next year ".