With an area of 2,765 hectares, the department continues to consolidate as the leading producer of this fruit in 35 municipalities. Experts explain the challenges of the sector and defend themselves against accusations for the use of pesticides.
Diary of Huila, economy
By: Gloria Camargo
With leadership from the center of the department, Huila has been consolidating its national participation as the largest producer of lulo. According to the Ceres Agroecology portal, the region has 2,765 hectares planted for this fruit in 35 of its 37 municipalities.
Where the municipalities of Colombia, Acevedo, Garzón, Pitalito and La Plata stand out, with 53% of this total planted area.
According to Juan Pablo Penagos, an agronomist who has been dedicated to agriculture and specifically to the cultivation of lulo for almost 20 years, he indicated that “the department of Huila, for at least 30 years, has been recognized as a leader in the cultivation of the lulo plant”.
And he explained that “the large lulo farmers, for the most part, come from the center of Huila, especially from the Gigante and Zuluaga area in Garzón.
It was in this area where leadership was developed approximately 20 years ago, with farmers who promoted the technification of lulo cultivation, achieving the highest productions and applying the latest technologies.”
Juan Pablo Penagos, an agronomist engineer and who has been dedicated to agriculture and specifically to the cultivation of lulo for almost 20 years.
cultivation zone
In Huila, the lulo growing area has been changing over time. About 20 years ago, the main production was concentrated in the areas mentioned above, in Zuluaga, Garzón and La Vega de Gigante.
However, due to the increase in crop density and the consequent increase in pests, the activity has shifted to Vereda Belén, in the municipality of La Argentina, for approximately 10 years.
However, Penagos points out that “about five or years ago, the lulo cultivation area moved to the south of Huila, specifically to the municipality of Pitalito. During that time, it is estimated that there were around 2 million lulo plants in this area.”
However, it should be noted that this figure is approximate, since there is no official record or precise statistics due to the lack of a formal group of farmers and the constant change of growing areas month by month.
Pesticide use
Faced with this aspect, the engineer added that although the producers of this fruit are accused of being the biggest contaminants due to the use of pesticides.
“Part of that is true and part is not. The cultivation of lulo, a plant belonging to the tree tomato and cape gooseberry family, is susceptible to pests and diseases, such as insects, bacteria, fungi and viruses.
This, unlike other plants, such as grasses or coffee crops, which require fewer inputs, lulo demands a rigorous, constant and preventive application of agrochemicals for its protection.
Therefore, the frequent use of fungicides and insecticides is implied, some of which are also used in other crops in Colombia, such as coffee, rice, tomato, beans, peas, among others. “Therefore, lulo is not the only crop that requires pesticide application, although it may be more intensive due to the need for more frequent applications,” he noted.
Lulo in Colombia is cultivated in 308 municipalities in 21 departments, the first being the department of Huila, followed by Valle del Cauca, Tolima, Boyacá and Nariño.
Therefore, he added that insecticides form a specific group and their use must be regulated responsibly, while indicating that responsibility cannot be attributed exclusively to farmers or crops would simplify the problem.
“In reality, the responsibility also falls on the houses that produce these products, which are not necessarily located in Colombia, and on the Colombian State, which authorizes the commercialization and application of insecticides through the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA).”
And the profitability?
With respect to whether it is profitable for today to invest in this crop, Penagos pointed out that in the first place “all agricultural crops experience times of prosperity and scarcity.
From tomatoes, coffee, cilantro, cassava, potatoes, lulo and even beans and sugar cane, each one has its season and its years of high and regular prices”.
And he pointed out that “in the 20 years that I have been in this field, I have experienced everything: years with very favorable prices and others with drastic falls. As farmers, we must learn to live with this price fluctuation and manage our crops with the understanding that prices are volatile, like an elevator that goes up and down.”
Therefore, he adds that “there are no bad crops or prices, what we need is to learn to adapt to this constant change in prices and be efficient in our production. We must be rigorous in verification and work hard to obtain better results. We should not blame anyone, neither the State, nor the President, nor the Congress of the Republic for the prices”.
With good crop management, the plants can have a useful life of approximately two (2) years.
And he explained that producers, not only from Huila but from the entire country, must be aware of the field, “responsible in our administration, expenses and production, both at the time of planting and in our work. We must be consistent with prices and understand how the market works”.
international markets
Colombia, according to data from DANE (National Administrative Department of Statistics), ranks ninth as an exporter of exotic fruits worldwide, but although for Colombia these fruits are not exotic, they are for countries like the United States, Canada and several countries. European nations, who purchase them for their unusual flavors, colors, and distinctive shapes.
According to the information provided by Procolombia, gulupa is the Colombian exotic fruit with the greatest demand abroad. However, lulo also shows great potential, with the Netherlands, the United States, Canada and Germany being the main export destinations for these products.
Álvaro Palacio, from the Colombian Horticultural Association, highlights that Colombian exotic fruits are especially appreciated by European consumers due to their high sugar content (measured by the brix degree), as well as their striking colours, aromas and shapes.
Regarding the harvest of these fruits, it is important to take into account the altitude. According to Álvaro Palacio, at an altitude of 1,300 meters above sea level, in Pitalito, it is possible to grow a variety of lulo called “planchulita” and obtain the first harvest in 9 months.
However, if the altitude rises to about 1,500 meters, in a path or lot, the maturation time is extended to 10 months. In case of ascending to 2000 meters, the maturation process can take approximately 14 months.
The lulo presents a fairly wide phytosanitary map, becoming one of the species most susceptible to attack by pests and diseases.
In the specific case of Pitalito, after the first harvest, it is possible to collect fruits every 15 days for 9 months, as long as good management is carried out. This means that the harvest of fruits can be maintained during a total cycle of approximately 12 to 13 months, from planting to the last harvest, which is equivalent to about two years in total, according to the expert’s indications.