Around 100 hectares of greenhouse plantations devoted to strawberries and other berries were severely damaged by strong winds from a tornado last week, as reported by the president of the National Strawberry Council, Octaviano Magaña Ortiz.
He also informed that a surface of around 1,000 hectares was left without the macro tunnels or plastic covers, which will consequently result in the production being affected.
He explained that heavy investments are made with the goal of growing excellent quality produce for longer periods than with traditional agriculture, and as a result the plants are already used to the microclimates created by the macro tunnels.
"Now, with the plants unprotected from the sun, they will not be able to adapt and continue producing at the rate they have done up until now," he says.
To invest in new macro tunnels would no longer be profitable, as the production period will finish in around two months and growers would not have a chance to recover the investment in new infrastructure.
He concluded by saying that almost 100% of the production in the areas affected is guaranteed to be lost and that the only thing left to do is to apply for some sort of compensation from Sagarpa given the extent of the damages.
Source: Cambiodemichoacan