If small thefts of avocado are not controlled, the losses could reach almost 2 million pesos (US $162,000) this year in Michoacán, and industry official said, according to newspaper Cambio de Michoacán.

Small thefts of avocadoes have added up to losses of about 6 metric tons.

From January to June, the stolen avocadoes added up to the equivalent of eight truckloads each carrying 5.5 to 6 metric tons of fruit, said Jesús Martínez Castillo, information technology manager for the Association of Growers, Packers and Exporters of Avocado of Michoacán, according to the website.

At an industry meeting about the thefts in which a few avocados are taken at a time, Martínez Castillo proposed a monitoring system to track the thefts.  A satellite could detect anomalies as they happen, allowing the industry to act immediately, the website said.

Of the stolen avocados, about 2 MT were recovered, Martínez Castillo said, according to the website.

Photo: Cambio de Michoacán

Source: www.freshfruitportal.com