“If one hectare produces 70 tons, that translates into 3,500 boxes. Each box costs 25 pesos in cardboard and transporting the production to the Cuautlapan market costs 60 pesos per box. This means an additional investment of between 200 thousand and 400 thousand pesos,” he explained.
These expenses include the inputs necessary for production.
He also highlighted the lack of catastrophic insurance for farmers affected by natural phenomena.
“There is no catastrophic insurance in the agricultural sector that can help farmers who are affected by nature,” he said. Given this situation, producers must rely on their own resources to sustain their crops, despite the difficult economic conditions: “The investment in chayote is very high. Every day it is a resource, and to obtain production we have to invest in agrochemicals and fertilizers. In addition, we have to look for new options in fertilization, since our soils have been leached and have lost their richness due to irrigation and the use of traditional methods,” he added.
Despite the high costs and difficulties, he stressed that these expenses are unavoidable to start and maintain chayote production, a fundamental crop for many farmers in the region.
