Guanajuato has become the leading exporter of broccoli in Mexico, as it exported more than 70% of the total product sent to the United States in 2014.
The state is above others, such as Puebla, Querétaro, Aguascalientes and Zacatecas. In 2010 broccoli exports amounted to $149.6 million dollars, while last year they totalled $196.3 million dollars.
"Our main export product is broccoli. We have consolidated and as we are currently shipping about 70,000 tons, mainly to the US, followed by Canada and Japan," said the Secretary of Agricultural and Rural Development, Javier Usabiaga Arroyo.
The municipalities that concentrate the production of broccoli in Guanajuato are San Miguel de Allende, San Luis de la Paz, San Diego Union, Comonfort, Celaya, Salamanca, Irapuato, Valle de Santiago, Abasolo, and Pénjamo. Production is already starting in Cuerámaro and Francisco del Rincón. One hectare can yield 15 tons.
70% to 80% of the broccoli that is exported is frozen and the rest arrives fresh to its ultimate destination.
There are about 40,000 hectares of broccoli crops in the country - concentrated in five states- and 38,000 of them are located in Guanajuato.
Other agricultural products for export that also had an increase in production are the fresh cabbage, chilled tomatoes, onions, garlic, carrots and celery amongst others.
For example, in 2010 Guanajuato exported $23.3 million in cabbage, while last year it exported $34.7 million; onion exports, as well as carrot and celery exports, have doubled in the past four years.
"We have only registered a drop in the production of cauliflower, because its consumption throughout the world has decreased, but it remains an export product in Guanajuato," said Javier Usabiaga.
However, according to a state's report on vegetable exports, there has also been a decrease in chilli and lettuce exports when compared to 2013.
Last year, chilli exports amounted to $26.5 million, a drop of $15.1 million; while lettuce exports fell from $25.9 million to $13.3 million over the last year.
"The export of Mexican agricultural products will continue to grow, they grow on a daily basis in Guanajuato. When we compared the exports from 2013 to the current exports we can see they have increased over 20%, but if we compare them to 2014 there is a 15% to 20% increase," said Javier Usabiaga.
Countries that demand vegetables from Guanajuato
United States accounts for 97.80% of the products grown in Guanajuato; followed by Canada, France, Japan and Poland.
Source: El Economista