Determination of the cost of production of vainilla (Vanilla planifolia Jacks ex Andrews) in the municipality of Huehuetla, Puebla

Abstract

Objetive: To identify the production costs of vanilla, as a primary link in the value chain, to determine the profitability of the crop in the municipality of Huehuetla, Puebla. Design/methodology/approach: The information was obtained from the application of 40 surveys to producers in nine communities in the municipality of Huehuetla, Puebla, using the methodology of financial evaluation of long-term agricultural projects. Results: The results of the diagnosis show that it is a highly profitable crop, indicating an average production cost 0.1 ha-1 of $ 54,471.90 and the average total sale price 0.1 ha-1 of $ 187,500.00, which results in a high profitability (R B/C=2.54), even in conditions of small cultivation areas, in addition to the fact that producers combine it with other perennial and annual species that generate short and medium term income for family sustenance. Limitations on study/implications: Vanilla producers are located in a region with marginalized characteristics due to its geographic location, which makes access to communication difficult, and they lack a government agency to represent them; therefore, information on production costs and prices is limited and dispersed. Findings/conclusions: Vanilla is a crop with great productive potential in the Totonacapan region, and especially in the municipality of Huehuetla, as it is a crop with high commercial value, it is a highly profitable alternative for producers, for all these benefits among other advantages of the crop, it is recommended to strongly support programs that promote its expansion, support in the development of strategies and technologies for the improvement of cultivation techniques that are reflected in higher yields, better quality and ensure a marketing that benefits the producers of these vanilla-growing areas of the northeastern region of the state of Puebla and the surrounding area, so that regional development is stimulated through potentially profitable crops such as vanilla.