Pineapple Export benefits Cuban Economy

CIEGO DE AVILA, Cuba, Oct 18 (acn) Ceballos Agroindustrial Company, in the province of Ciego de Avila, earned 653 380 Cuban convertible pesos (CUC) for pineapple exports to Europe from January to September this year.

Such contribution responds to the need for a progressive contribution of this sector to the balance of payments of the country, to stop being a net importer of food and reduce the high dependence on financing that today is covered with income from other branches, as expressed in the Guidelines for Economic and Social Policy of the Party and the Revolution.
The entity sent to Europe 970 tons of pineapple in the aforementioned period and the purpose is to reach 1 200 tons this year, especially to France, Italy and Spain, through Citricos Caribe Enterprise, belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Engineer Wilver Bringas Fernández, Ceballos director general, told ACN that everything is guaranteed to continue the supply of this fresh fruit to the outside, especially with the availability of a benefactor center that helps to raise standards.
Although the drought has affected some fruit plantations, Ciego de Avila intends this year to exceed 7 329 tons of pineapple in 2015, a figure still below the demand.
In 1991 the territory produced more than 30 000 tons of the queen of fruits, but productions were reduced in the past decade by the deterioration of the fields and lack of resources.
Pineapple is rich in carbohydrates, iron, magnesium, iodine, zinc, manganese, A, B and C vitamins, in addition to antioxidants that slow aging.
According to statistics, the export market for fresh pineapple is dominated by Costa Rica, which produces 29 percent of the world production, while the United States is its largest importer.