Producción y comercialización de malanga (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Shott) en Actopan, Veracruz, México: Perspectiva de cadena de valor

Objective: To analyze the production and marketing of taro in Actopan, Veracruz, Mexico, with a value chain approach.Design/methodology/approach: Official databases were assessed and 28 questionnaires were applied to producers and seven to representatives of packing companies, with a value chain approach.Results: fifty percent of producers interviewed are of small-scale (0.5-3 ha) with average annual yields of 50 t ha1. The main problems faced are: high prices for agricultural inputs, low market prices, pests and diseases. The commercialization of the product is done through retail and wholesale gatherers in the region. There are no purchase-sale contracts, the agreements are verbal. The packing companies are in charge of carrying out the process of clean assembly, selection, disinfection, labeling, packaging and distribution. Ninety percent of the fresh taro market is for the United States.Limitations on study/implications: Taro producers lack a government agency to represent them, for example the product-system; therefore, the information on production, costs and wholesale prices is limited and dispersed.Findings/conclusions: The production and commercialization of taro is of great economic and social importance. It generates economic income and temporary jobs throughout the year. It has relatively low production costs and high performance. In general, it benefits economic agents in the value chain. However, the lack of organization of producers does not allow them to use economies of higher scale, access to preferential markets and high prices paid to the producers.