Michoacan is the national leader in the production of berries (strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, and blueberry), as 70 percent of these berries are harvested here, said Francisco Huergo Maurin, the head of the Secretary of Rural Development and Agricultural Food (Sedrua).
According to Maurin, Mexico has more than 25 thousand hectares of berry crops. Michoacan is followed by Jalisco, with 12 percent, Baja California (9 percent), and Guanajuato (4 percent)
The berry industry generates between 100 thousand and 160 thousand direct and indirect jobs in the country; in Michoacan it generates more than 48 thousand jobs, more than 3,500 of which are permanent and the remaining temporary.
In this context, the Sedrua, berry producers, and agricultural entrepreneurs plan to develop schemes and strategic alliances with small producers to diversify crops to boost small production units and promote job creation.
In this regard, Huergo Maurin said that the cultivation of strawberries in the country had a wide and vast potential, and that they were developing comprehensive schemes to increase the growing areas for this product that has a high demand in international markets, especially in Asia.
He also stressed that there were significant advances in the approval of plant health protocols for the entry of berries into China. "Health and food safety are fundamental and of great importance for the Sedrua," he said.
He also said that their plans included land adaptation, seed improvement, as well as infrastructure (technical irrigation, greenhouses, collection centers and cold nets) to expand crops in different regions of the state.
Mexico is the world's fourth largest producer of berries
Michoacan is the country's number one producer of strawberry and blackberry. It produces 253,537 tons of strawberry, and last year it produced 116,166 tons of blackberry. In 2015 Michoacan's blackberry sales amounted to more than 3.616 billion pesos.
Michoacan ranks second in the cultivation and production of raspberry and blueberry. It produces more than 9,545 tons of raspberry and more than 6,000 tons of blueberry; more than 1,200 tons of which are exported in fresh.
Michoacan is the country's main supplier of berries, followed by Baja California.
Mexico ranks fourth in the production of berries worldwide, as it contributes 7.9 percent of the world's volume.
The main export markets are the United States and Europe, but there are other nations, such as those on the Asian continent, which represent a potential market.
Berries are a very important crop. Annual per capita world consumption has shown a significant growth, as it's been increasing by 16.5 percent annually and will continue to have a similar growth until 2020.
Source: vivemaravatio.com