Mexico: Planting of protected horticulture started
Manuel Cázares Castro, president of Sistema Producto Tomate, mentioned that this year an area of 1,600 hectares would be delimited in Sonora, with a target of 30 million plants.
Of these 1,600 hectares, 600 hectares correspond to greenhouses and the rest to shade houses, where tomato varieties such as round, saladette and round bunch, and specials, such as cherry and campari, are planted, although saladette will likely predominate due to their good price in the market.
"The majority of tomato growers are preparing their lands and others have already began with the planting to be able to harvest by November and December," said Cázares Castro.
This year over 30 million round and saladette tomato plants will be established, as well as special varieties such as cherry, campari and round bunch, insisted the also president of Sonora State's Greenhouse Vegetable Growers Association.
At the moment saladette tomatoes are still selling at good prices. This variety will predominate, as six Mexican states have already adopted the crop.
In 2012 tomato growers faced a series of falls in prices, which caused the suspension of tomato exports under the Tequitoma brand.
Source: TRIBUNA