Pomegranate cultivation would consolidate the southern part of Jalisco, which also grows avocados and berries, as a food production hub at the state and national level. Additionally, if the region follows the strategies developed in other countries, it could become a producing emporium of this native fruit of the Middle East that has adapted to many places, including Mexico.
Seeking to maximize the potential of this crop and to access first world markets, where the nutritional qualities of the pomegranate's seeds and skin are widely known, the South University Center of the University of Guadalajara, hosted the Second National Pomegranate Festival Jalisco 2016, in which Peru was the guest country.
The festival was promoted by the State Committee of the Pomegranate Product System Jalisco AC, which is headed by Gerardo Alvarez González, in coordination with SAGARPA, the Ministry of Rural Development of the State of Jalisco, and the Municipal Government of Zapotlán El Grande. Juan Luis Miguel Morales was in charge of the logistics of this trade show, where agricultural input suppliers and rural producers betting on this crop, in different municipalities in the South of Jalisco, showcased their products.
Worldwide production of pomegranate is estimated at more than 2 million tons. India is the world's biggest producer of pomegranate while Mexico ranks 11. However, Mexico has the potential to be one of the top producers of this fruit in a few years. The fruit is a new alternative for domestic agriculture with high returns for producers.
As part of the opening of festival, Ricardo Xicoténcatl García Cauzor, the dean of the South University Center, urged producers and entrepreneurs to strengthen links with researchers to boost production and add value to the byproducts.
The deputy delegate of Planning at SAGARPA in Jalisco, Heriberto Santana Rubio, inaugurated the festival and recognized the work undertaken by the Pomegranate System Product, which is a fundamental part in the state's agricultural activity, urging them to continue working so that they achieve the expected results.
To conclude, the president of the Pomegranate Product System from the state of Jalisco A. C., Gerardo Alvarez González, asked producers to change their conception of their activity and urged them to learn more about the advantages of cultivating pomegranates and to be a part of this positive change in Jalisco, which is recognized nationally and internationally because of the quality and volume of its agricultural production. He added that the first shipment of pomegranates had already been exported to the United States.
The attendees from Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Durango, and Jalisco agreed to meet on Friday, January 20, 2017 in Celaya, Guanajuato, to follow up on the proposals that emerged at the festival.
Source: periodicodelsur.com