Mexico is currently the leading exporter of fresh berries in the world, a remarkable achievement as, ten years ago, these red fruits, especially blackberry and raspberry, were virtually unknown in the country and their production had little technological support, but by the 2006 season the country had a great production.
According to Michoacan's Secretary of Rural Development, Jaime Rodriguez Lopez, Michoacan excels in the production of red fruits as it contributes 96 percent of the country's blackberry production and 27percent of the raspberry production. The production and export of these two fruits are concentrated in a region known as the Valley of the Kings, which traditionally cultivated sugarcane and produced sugar.
The cultivation of berries in the state is recent, as it only started in 1996 with the establishment of the first traders and exporters of blackberry in the Valley of the Kings.
However, the production and marketing of these fruits started to increase once the TUPY variety, which has an excellent shelf life, was introduced. The variety was derived primarily from the efforts of farmers and professionals who had the experience and management of forced peach production and that began to develop this technology in growing blackberry.
Thanks to this, the local supply of blackberry managed to cover all of the import window of the United States, which, coupled with the country's comparative advantages in logistics, helped Mexico displace other countries in that market.
The commercial success of companies located in the Valley was the main incentive for other trading companies to get installed in the region. By the 2007-2008 season, there were already ten companies, both national and international, installed in the Valley, which contributed to the opening of new markets and boosted the competitive development of the region.
Rodriguez Lopez said that the strawberries had had a similar situation; the region of Zamora, for example, had large areas devoted for the production of grain, which, little by little, were changed for large areas of strawberries, many of them with advanced technology.
The red fruits are eaten in several countries, not only because of their high nutritional value, but also because they tend to be small, sweet, juicy and have bright colours, which makes them very attractive to consumers.
Fourth International Aneberries Congress
The Association of Producers, Traders and Exporters of strawberries (Aneberries), began in mid-2009, in order to establish a direct dialogue between the biggest exporters of berries in the country that have an influence on overlapping issues in several states, some of which are mandatory for the industry, such as the phytosanitary and safety processes, among others.
The association was chartered in June 2010 with 15 berry-exporting companies (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries), which grouped a large number of independent producers. To date, Aneberries has helped build bridges between members and their national or international markets, specially the United States and Europe, and most recently the Asian market, which they intend to access.
Rodriguez Lopez asked the representatives of the association to seek sending the first container of berries to China as soon as possible and to be present throughout the whole production chain.
Mario Alejandro Andrade Cardenas, national president of Aneberries, said the members had had their doubts about making their headquarters in Michoacan, but "it was time to show that Michoacán was doing things well; the state is giving good news and better results," he said.
The main issues discussed at the conference were the treaties with China and the processes to reach said agreement; the needs and requirements that the Chinese market is requesting to bring the berries to their country and what their main concerns regarding plant health.
They also discussed marketing issues, positioning the berries in other countries, and the trends in China and other countries that are consuming berries, among others.
The head of Sedru said, "Michoacan's berry's history is relatively new, but great things lie ahead for the berry sector in our state."
Source: Agencia Quadratín