Chia seeds are among the healthiest foods on the planet.
“The alternative chia seed farming offers earnings of up to 35 thousand pesos per hectare, therefore, the state government will boost this activity during 2018”, informed the Guanajuato secretary of Agrifood and Rural Development (Secretaría de Desarrollo Agroalimentario y Rural: SDAyR), Paulo Bañuelos.
The head of the SDAyR declared that Chia brings multiple nutritional benefits and therefore there is a great demand for this product worldwide, so he invited producers “to encourage the production of Chia in 2018″, because they can obtain crops that could go from 1 to 1.5 tons per hectare with irrigation systems, and from 0.8 to 1.3 tons per hectare in the rainy season; and currently the price of chia is 35 thousand pesos per hectare. ”
Given this perspective, the state official recalled that this plant, as an alternative crop, was introduced by the SDAyR in the Spring of 2014, with the participation of 50 producers in 19 municipalities throughout the state, with a total area of 132.6 hectares of Chía in its two varieties; pinta and blanca.
“This crop, due to its rustic characteristics and low water consumption, represents an excellent option, both as a main crop and as a rotation crop. During 2015 and 2016 the Chía production was temporarily suspended in Guanajuato; but in 2017 we decided to bring it back with more force and we intend that in 2018 Chía will be introduced in many more areas of the state”, said the secretary.
He also explained that in 2017, there were 23 producers, for a total of 131.55 hectares in five municipalities: Cuerámaro, Irapuato, Silao, Valle de Santiago and Jaral del Progreso.
Bañuelos Rosales stressed that the SDAyR will encourage this activity with technical assistance, agricultural insurance, linking the producer with companies for agriculture by contract and with support for inputs in the cost of the so-called technological package (seed).
“The Secretariat advises the farmers at all times, so that planting comes to fruition and the best earnings can be obtained. We strongly recommend you to come to see us, we are here to help you during the whole process,” Bañuelos concluded.
Finally, the head of the state agency said that the state government promotes this type of crops to achieve rotation, necessary to maintain soil fertility and break the transmission of diseases and/or pests.
Source. OEM