Latin American strawberry growers are expanding production to meet increasing consumer demand. Mexico is the largest strawberry-producing country in Latin America, followed by Brazil, Peru, and Colombia. These countries have an advantage in production costs due to low labor wages and the availability of cheap land.
Volume of strawberries imported by the United States
Domestic strawberry production accounted for 78.0% of the total US market in 2022. Despite this, the country imports large quantities of strawberries, primarily from Mexico. During the low season for US domestic production, which runs from April to June, Mexico meets consumer demand with an increase in its export volume, which is mainly concentrated from December to May.
Strawberry production and exports in Mexico
In 2021, Mexico experienced a slight decrease of 2.5% in strawberry production, with a volume of 543,434 metric tons compared to 557,514 metric tons produced in 2020.
In 2021, Mexico exported 355,934 metric tons of strawberries, or 65% of total production. Most of these exports were destined for the United States and represented a massive boost from 2019 when 286,915 tons (33% of total output) were exported.
Source: producepay.com