Veggie greenhouse crops Mexico increase 1,200 hectares per year

Vegetable greenhouse crops in Mexico are growing at a good steady pace, especially when compared to open field crops. According to the Mexican Federal Government, Mexico had 23,500 hectares of greenhouses nationwide in 2015. Fifteen years ago, it only had 700 hectares. "We have a growth trend of around 1,200 hectares per year," said Alfredo Diaz Belmontes, the director general of the Mexican Association of Protected Horticulture (AMHPAC).

Diaz Belmontes believes that this growth trend will continue to increase, or at least, will be sustained. "One factor for this is that we are better positioned in the US market," Diaz said. The United States receives 96% of Mexico's greenhouse vegetable production and Canada the rest, he added. 

A few years ago, two thirds of the production sold to the US were vegetables produced in the open fields and only 30% was produced in greenhouses. Today, 50% of what the US buys is produced in greenhouses. According to Diaz, this trend indicates that US consumers increasingly prefer greenhouse crops. 

"There's another trend in organic vegetables. This segment is also pushing hard, and there's an unmet demand for a market that consumes more and healthier products," he said. Alfredo Diaz also said that horticulture was very attractive for the banks. "Mexican banks have already discovered the business potential that the horticultural activity has and we have been working to bring them closer and to fund our activities. There are other factors that make us believe this growth trend will continue in the coming years," says Diaz Belmontes.

It's a good year for Mexico's horticulture. According to the director general of the AMHPAC, the US has had a decrease in the production of vegetables because of weather conditions, such as the drought in California and the winter storms in the country, that has led to an increase in prices; a situation that has benefited Mexican horticulturists. Diaz Belmontes expects Mexican horticulture will continue increasing in the future. "We know we have top-quality vegetables and producers. We have worked a lot to improve in all aspects." "All the companies in the association have safety certifications, which gives them access to virtually any market in the world," he said. "We have a huge growth potential and we'll use it in 2016. We are looking to go to other markets, such as Europe."

The AMHPAC associates vegetable producers under some kind of protected cultivation program, whether it is high-tech greenhouses, through plastic or glass greenhouses with heating systems (as in the center of the country), or with less technology ( mesh shade, macrotunnels, etc.), as in the north of the country. The association is made up of more than 200 partners that produce more than 1,100,000 tons of vegetables, mainly of tomatoes (almost 70% of production), peppers (19%), cucumbers (17% ), as well as eggplants and some specialties.

The companies engaged in protected agriculture export most of their production, so their products rarely reach the local market, which is usually supplied by the open field crops.

AMHPAC is committed to technological innovation. "We want to increase our revenues by obtaining higher yields per hectare. Technology will also helps us to optimize processes and reduce costs," Diaz said and, as an example, spoke about the Mexicultura program, by which Dutch companies transferred technology to Mexican producers. According to Diaz, it was a win-win scenario because Mexico got more technological knowledge and, in turn, the Dutch companies managed to penetrate the Mexican market. "It was a good partnership and a nice experience," he said.

Belmontes also said that they were trying to build some agricultural parks in some areas of the country, which remain unpopular for cultural reasons, the availability of surface, etc., even though some of them were working well, like the one in the city of Queretaro.

Finally, Diaz Belmontes said the AMHPAC celebrated its Congress every year in August. "This year, it will be held on August 25 and 26 in Cancun," he said, adding that it would be attended by the main Mexican horticulturists, and the major US and Canadian buyers, the global providers of inputs for horticulture, and professionals that would give lectures.