Honduran companies and authorities of both countries are agreeing on dates to review and endorse the phytosanitary measures of those interested in exporting the fruit.
According to the authorities of the National Agricultural Health Service (Senasa) of Honduras, the South American country presented days ago to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the phytosanitary requirements for the import of melon from the Central American country.
During the first three months of the year countries in Central America sold $52 million worth of watermelons abroad, which is 20% more than what was exported in the same period in 2017.
Figures from the information system on the Fresh Watermelon Market in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData : [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graph"]
Last year countries in the region exported $68 million worth of watermelons, the highest value in the last six years, registering an increase of 58% compared to 2016.
Figures from the information system on the Fresh Watermelon Market in Central America, compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption = "Click to interact with graph"]
For the 2017-2018 harvest, Honduran producers expect to maintain the high productivity levels achieved in the 2016/17 cycle, and estimate exports worth more than $70 million.
The aim of producers in this harvest is to exceed the export results obtained in the 2016/17 harvest, which is estimated at $69.5 million.Favorable climatic factors allow good levels of performance to be anticipated, as was achieved in the 2016/17 cycle, when yields exceeding 1,000 boxes per manzana were reached.
In 2016 the total export value was $53 million, 6% less than the amount exported during the previous year, mainly due to a decline in the international price.
Last year Honduras exported 268 million kilos of melons and watermelons, according to central bank figures.The total volume of exports fell by only 1.1% compared to the previous year.
Forecasts for the 2016-17 harvest are that fruit exports will generate between $60 and $65 million.
Melon producers anticipate that, although the weather conditions were not the best, they may achieve performance"... per hectare of between 900 to 1000 boxes".
Laprensa.hn reports that "...Producers hope to recover from losses in 2014 and 2015, when production was reduced to 700 cases because of damages caused by viruses and whitefly in some municipalities in the south of the country.This had a negative impact on foreign exchange earnings when only 51.6 million was registered in the period 2015 and 2016, lower than the 62.9 million in 2014."
Honduran producers expect that this year, exports will increase by $3 million compared to previous years.
Thanks to favorable weather conditions in the south of the country, farmers expect to obtain export revenues of between $50 and $52 million, compared with $49.4 million last year.
According to Freshfruitportal.com, the sector planted about 6,000 hectares of this crop throughout the country, mainly of the varieties Cantaloupe, Galia, Honeydew, Santa Claus and Charentais.