Mexico ranks as the largest exporter and second largest producer of green chilli worldwide, said the undersecretary of Agriculture, SAGARPA, Mariano Ruiz-Funes Macedo.
In 2011 international sales of Mexican chilli exceeded 720 thousand tons, an increase of 8.5% compared with 2010. That product alone represents 16.8% of total exports of fresh vegetables done in the country.
By participating in the Ninth World Convention of Chilli, in the city of Zacatecas, he warned that the challenge is to "continue to build on the opportunities provided by markets, with products of high quality and safety, given by the enormous advantages of our country."
He said that in Mexico there are at least 150,000 hectares planted with more than 2 million tons of dry and green chilli, which represents an approximate retail value of 13.224 million pesos.
The states with the highest production are Chihuahua, Sinaloa and Zacatecas, while the most widely grown varieties are jalapeño, serrano, poblano pepper and habanero.
Source: Notimex