By 2018 Puebla could export avocados from three municipalities that have the certification required by world markets, said Rodrigo Restra Piña, Secretary of Rural Development Sustainability and Territorial Planning (SDRSOT).
Europe would be the likely destination, while exports of the fruit to the United States could be possible in 2019, because their rules are even more robust, he said.
Tochimilco, Tianguismanalco and Cohuecan are certified and Atlixco and Huaquechula are in process. The official said that the area sown with avocado in the state has reached 5 thousand hectares.
"In Puebla, although we are the World's corn cradle, we are also the World's avocado cradle, and share the World's vanilla cradle. All of this has led us to take advantage of the different microclimates," he said in an interview.
Puebla is one of the 10 avocado producers in Mexico with a reported volume of 15,519 tonnes, and a 32 percent production growth between 2014 and 2015, according to information from the Agri-Food and Fisheries Information Service (SIAP).
Ristra said that the programs of productive reconversion continue in the state through the delivery of propagating avocado plants in order to raise the amount of surface planted with the fruit.
"We are exporting tuna, we are exporting roses, we are exporting habanero, all this is certainly an example of how to get a return on a smaller surface, because in Puebla we have a high land tenure pulverization, but above all it is also a clear message of how to make the agricultural sector profitable in the entity, "he said.
He shared that California's avocado mother tree was brought from Puebla, and years later it returned to Michoacán, which is now the leading producer in the country. However, as the state has conditions for this to occur, each year the area planted increases.
According to SIAP, Michoacán is the country's leading producer with one million 283,313 tonnes and an annual growth of 5.2 percent, followed by Jalisco (119,647 tonnes), Mexico (89,400 tonnes), Nayarit (39,149 tonnes) Morelos (29,548 tonnes), Guerrero (16,522 tonnes), Puebla (15,519 tonnes), Yucatan (10,708 tonnes), Chiapas (10,092 tonnes) and Oaxaca (7,134 tonnes).
Source: elsoldepuebla.com.mx