Hard-hit coffee growers in Honduras should look at diversifying into apples in the medium term in order to ride out the economic storm. The suggestion comes from Honduras agricultural research institute FHIA and is reported in national daily, La Prensa.

The country relies on imports from the US, Canada, Chile, Mexico and even Japan for top fruit. Apple imports are calculated to be worth several million dollars a year. But coffee-producing highlands in the Central American country could be well suited to apple production say researchers in terms of climate and soil type. There are just 160ha under apple production in the country although only half of the plantations are capable of averaging 20kg of fruit per tree.

Those varieties most suitable, according to the report, are Golden Dorsett and Anna.

Topics