Mexico is the third-biggest global supplier of strawberries, only behind Spain and the United States, with an annual strawberry production of 400,000 tons that account for 15% of world production.
One of the main producing states of this fruit is Guanajuato. The entity produces 80,000 tons per year, i.e. 20% of Mexico's total, which positions it as the country's third-largest producer. Currently, this highly profitable fruit is being grown in Irapuato, the first region to dedicate itself to strawberry production and that has been growing it for decades, Tarandacuao, Abasolo, and Valle de Santiago.
"The characteristics of Guanajuato's soil, climate, and altitude have allowed adapting the strawberry to the state and achieving good productions. As a result, the productions that were in other states decided to come to Guanajuato to find better conditions and to be closer to the markets,” stated the Secretary of Agricultural Food Development, Jose Gutierrez Michel.
In the last decade, world imports of strawberries increased by 35.55%, which triggered exports to countries such as the United States and Canada. The main buyers in the national market are Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Jalisco, where it is sold in supply centers and supermarkets. 70% of Guanajuato's strawberry production is destined for export and 30% for local consumption.
In addition to strawberries, the state has begun to envision the production of other berries that are considered highly productive crops and that are highly valued in the international market, such as blackberries and raspberries, which show a growth of 10% per year.
Source: milenio.com