By: Marte Vega Román, President of CAADES.
On August 29, within the framework of the XVI Congress of the Mexican Association of Horticulture Protected, Marte Vega Roman, President of CAADES spoke at the discussion: Mexican horticultural sector, opportunities, challenges and threatswhich also included the participation of Juan Enrique Labastida Blake, President of AMSAC; Juan José Flores García, General Manager of Aneberries; German José Gándara Fernández, General Manager of GANFER; and the moderator was Alfredo Díaz Belmontes, General Manager of AMHPAC.
It was highlighted that Mexico It ranks eighth in the world in the production of vegetables and fifth place in the production of fruitour country has also consolidated its position in fifth place in the world ranking of exports.
One explanation for this is that since the opening of trade with the NAFTAnow USMCAhe fruit and vegetable sector It was a winning sector since it has been allowed to export without tariffs to USA and Canadaand import technology and materials that were previously required permissionswhich has allowed for a significant improvement in its competitiveness. This impact has undoubtedly led to a technological revolution in the way it produces, which has been one of the greatest strategic drivers for its growth.
For example, the agriculture protected came to radically change the horticulture in Mexico and market dynamics in USAIn 1990, there were only 50 hectares of greenhouses in our country. 34 years later, we have an inventory of 52 thousand hectares nationwide, with an average annual growth of 14.3 percent since 2010, of which Sinaloa has 8,200 hectares of medium and high technology greenhouses, mainly for crops such as tomato, bell pepper and cucumber.
In addition to the technological revolution in vegetative materials to improve quality, shelf life, resistance and productivity.
There was also talk of the challenges and threats that we have to address, some immediate and others in the future. Among these is the availability of labor, since a large part of the field workers migrate to the United States and Canada, in addition to the fact that there is competition between regions in Mexico and products that raise costs, in addition to the fact that it is still not permitted to employ young people between 16 and 17 years of age.
There are other challenges such as maintaining phytosanitary status in Mexico, eliminating current and future trade obstacles with our trading partners, eradicating child and forced labor from the countryside, and others such as climate change and its adaptation problems, in addition to an uncertain type of countryside.
Among the main foreign trade threats are tomato dumping and the process to reach a mandatory suspension agreement that has already started again this year. If there is no agreement, tariffs will have to be paid. In addition, we have the T-MEC review coming up in 2026, which could once again have the issue of seasonality on the agenda, among many other aspects that will be reviewed.
In order to advance the common agenda of the issues mentioned above, the need arose to strengthen ourselves within our organizations, to be in a position to build communication and management ties with federal and state authorities and the new legislature to confront and resolve both internal problems and external threats to the Mexican fruit and vegetable sector.
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