Traditional Honduran chayote varieties, which have spines
and are irregularly shaped and colored, do not meet
international buyer and consumer specifications. In 2004,
therefore, Fintrac introduced a smooth Costa Rican variety
into Honduras to enable the development of a chayote export
industry.
Initial plantings were carried out by six growers on 4.3
hectares in the departments of Comayagua and Siguatepeque,
and 5,000 fruits were harvested in March 2005. The success
of the first harvests led to an increase in production area
and an additional four growers planted the new variety in
May 2005.
In the start-up phase in 2005, participating growers sold
more than 500,000 fruits with sales incomes of $45,000.
Technical support with handling, grading and packing was
provided to COHORSIL, a cooperative comprised of farmers
located in the department of Siguatepeque. Market linkages
were made with local supermarkets and informal buyers, and
the new smooth-skinned variety has in some cases gained
local market preference due to its high fruit quality.
Three exporters to the United States, Canada and the
Netherlands are sending commercial trial shipments. As of
March 2006, importers have expressed an interest in
receiving six containers per month. To meet this demand,
Fintrac is now working with local growers to further
increase production. In 2006, production has expanded to the
departments of Francisco Morazán and El Paraíso with four
more growers entering the program.
“Chayote has taken off because the local market has
accepted the new variety and is now sometimes even preferred
to traditional varieties. Growers like it because it pays a
good price and production is uniform,” said Fintrac’s Latin
America Director Dr. Andy Medlicott.
In the past, chayote production in Honduras was rain-fed
and used little or no fertilization or suitable pest and
disease controls. Fintrac has updated chayote production to
increase yields, extend harvest periods and consistently
produce high-quality fruit. Fintrac’s strategy calls for
increased plant density and planting only one seed per
position, whereas traditional systems called for up to
three. These approaches, along with Fintrac’s array of other
Good Agricultural Practices including raised beds, drip
irrigation, fertigation, pruning, weed control and pest and
disease management, have started to pay off. To date,
selected farms have maintained harvests over a nine-month
period and yields are up to one fruit per square meter per
week (equivalent to 320,000 fruits/hectare/cycle). This is
more than double traditional production systems.
Fintrac’s integrated technical assistance in production
and postharvest systems, and in linking producers with
buyers, ensures continued expansion of this new product.
During the next two years, Fintrac has established sales
targets of 100,000 kilograms per month. Sales in 2007 should
top $500,000, requiring around 25 hectares in harvest at any
one time. New growers in new zones are currently starting to
produce chayote. Fintrac has conducted field days for
project clients in six departments to promote the product
and the new production systems. Existing growers are also
earning additional income by selling planting material to
new growers. Chayote is an excellent addition to diversified
farm operations as it provides regular cash flow, has good
market demand and a return of investment of 30 percent to 40
percent.
“The new chayote variety has growing local demand and
provides excellent cash flow with weekly harvests over an 8
to 9 month period. And, overtime, the export market will be
further developed,” Medlicott said.
