According to Miguel Rivera Arias, lemon crops, which have a competitive advantages over orange crops and a large international market, also have a large growth potential in the citrus region of Tamaulipas, which comprises seven municipalities in the central area around Victoria.
Rivera Arias, one of the producers of this product in the state, indicated that there are currently about 4,500 hectares in production and, according to estimates, some 4,000 hectares in development that should be generating fruits soon.
The variety grown in the entity's orchards is the Limoneira 8 lemon, which starts to yield fruits in three years and is in full production by the seventh year, generating about 30 tons per hectare.
He also said Tamaulipas was now the largest producer of this type of lemon in the country and that they exported most of their production to the United States, Europe, and Asia.
The lemon harvest lasts 6 months and goes from August to February. Lemon production generates about 120,000 jobs in collection tasks and another 5,000 jobs for balers and juicers.
The municipalities devoted to citrus in the state are Victoria, Güémez, Hidalgo, Padilla, Jaumave, and Llera.
According to the producer, these municipalities have some 45,000 hectares dedicated to citrus crops, such as orange, lemon, grapefruit, and mandarin, especially of Valencia oranges.
However, he said, lemon is gaining ground. He said that they were looking for new markets in Europe, Asia, and South America and that they were also seeking to market this citrus in Mexico, where consumers prefer the colima variety.
Source: elmanana.com