With the onset of fruit ripening in San Juan, beginning of flowering in northern Mendoza and a few days to the of completion of planting in Valle de Uco, the tomato season is looking promising.
Mendoza will provide this year just over 3,200 hectares and San Juan has about 1,250 hectares. These together represent about 400 hectares more (8%) than the previous season, of which about 300 correspond to Mendoza and another 100 additional ones in San Juan.
The remaining regions will not record any year on year variations. It is estimated that the NOA (Salta, Jujuy, Santiago del Estero, Catamarca and La Rioja) could give this year about 1,400 hectares and Rio Negro 1,300 hectares.
The increased area of cultivation and permanent increase in yields per hectare in an important part of the plantations of Mendoza and San Juan, suggest a larger volume of production.
In areas of production and the industry it is estimated that in the absence of climatic incidents, domestic crops for 2013 should be around 430,000 tons, about 70,000 more than the previous season.
Anyway, we would have to wait until the end of the harvest to get the information, to be certain. In San Juan, harvest will begin on January 2nd. In Mendoza the harvest has not yet started.
Source: Losandes.com.ar