According to the latest data of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Mexico is the seventh largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world with a total of 32 million tons per year.
The national share stands at about 1.7% of global production, only behind China (40.9%), India (11.6%), the United States (3.4%), Brazil (2.6%), Turkey (2.3%) and Iran (1.8%).
Taking into account these countries' total area, Mexico's average production stands at approximately 16.3 tons per square kilometer, far more than that of the United States (6.5 tons / km2) and Brazil (5.8 tons / km2).
The great dynamism of the Mexican fruit and vegetable production sector is evident when the national performance is compared to previous years.
In 1990, Mexico accounted for 1.9% of world production and was ranked the 12th biggest producing country. Since then, domestic production has grown at an average annual rate of 3 percent.
Compared with the main current producers, this growth rate is only surpassed by that of China and India (6.9 and 4.4%, respectively), countries that together account for more than half of the world production of fruits and vegetables since 2010.
These figures reveal that, although the current trend shows a high concentration in the production of fruits and vegetables in these two Asian countries, Mexico's production of horticultural products is solid and with has a higher growth than its main competitors.
The strength and dynamism of Mexico's fruit and vegetable production is associated, among many other factors, with the advantage given by climatic conditions that are suitable for the cultivation of these products. In addition, the incorporation of different technologies has helped to the correct development of the products and the mitigation of diverse risks.
The most outstanding fruits produced in Mexico, regarding their international participation, are avocado (30.2% of world production), lime (13.6%), papaya (6.6%), orange (6.3%), raspberry (5.8%), strawberry (5.7%) and grapefruit (5.1%). With the exception of orange, Mexico is among the first five countries producing these fruits.
Historically, Mexico has led the world avocado production, with the Dominican Republic being the second main producer with 8.5% of world production.
On the other hand, the most relevant vegetables produced in Mexico are peppers (8.5% of world production), green beans (6.6%), onions (2.3%), pumpkins (2.3%), asparagus (2.2%), tomato (2.1%), and broccoli and cauliflower (2.1%).
Another interesting development is the performance of the berry production (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.), which together have grown at an average annual rate of 46% since 1990, much more than the rest of the fruits and vegetables. Other crops whose production has grown notably are strawberry, artichoke, chili, mandarin, and eggplant.
The second part of this report will present aspects related to Mexico's participation in exports of horticultural products.
Source: eleconomista.com.mx