In January, Mexico exported $88.7 million dollars in strawberries, i.e. 63.1% more than in the same month of the previous year, according to data from the Bank of Mexico (Banxico).
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), in 2016, strawberry shipments registered a growth of 21.2% and achieved revenues of US $ 650.8 million.
The estimated value of the national strawberry production is 5,779 million pesos. The annual per capita consumption stands at 1.4 kilograms and the production peaks in May, June, and July.
From 2013 to 2016, international sales of Mexican strawberries grew by 55.9%, going from 417.5 million dollars to more than 650.8 million dollars last year.
This represents an 11.7% average annual growth rate for this period, as well as an average sales of $ 524.7 million dollars.
Based on statistics from the Commercial Information System via the Internet, the five main buyers of Mexican strawberry are the United States, Canada, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom, which together acquired 649.1 million dollars of this fruit.
It should be noted that from 2015 to 2016, exports of this product from Mexico to Saudi Arabia grew by 37.6%, while exports to the United Arab Emirates increased by more than 70%, largely due to the promotional activities in that region.
The Made in Mexico strawberry also reaches other destinations, such as Hong Kong, Belize, the Netherlands, Russia, Qatar, Ireland, Kuwait, Japan, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Australia, and Trinidad and Tobago, among other places.
Mexico is the third biggest producer of strawberries worldwide with an estimated production of 398,287 tons in 2016, according to statistics from SAGARPA's Agricultural Food and Fisheries Information Service.
The five main strawberry-producing states in Mexico are Michoacan, Baja California, Guanajuato, Baja California South, and the State of Mexico. Together, these entities account for 99% of total production.
Source: eleconomista.com.mx