LONDON: The Mexican exports of fresh or refrigerated tomatoes were worth 1,094 million dollars between January and May 2016, representing an increase of 22.7% compared to the same period of 2015, as reported by the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA).
“Tomatoes are now 61 million dollars away from becoming the main food product exported by Mexico, only behind beer,” highlighted the SAGARPA. It was also noted that, with the exports shipped to the country’s major destinations (US and Canada), tomatoes are less than 600 million dollars away from exceeding the total sales achieved in 2015.
Mexico is one of the world’s major tomato exporters, with an estimated 21% share of the international market. According to the Agro-food and Fisheries Information Service (SIAP), the country devotes over 51,000 hectares to the cultivation of tomatoes, producing a total of 2.8 million tonnes per year. It also pointed out that Mexican tomatoes are in second place when looking at the production’s value in the local market.
