Today is the final day of the Expo AgroAlimentaria and after a bit of a slow start last Tuesday, the show became well-visited on Wednesday and Thursday. Crop safety is a popular topic at the show and the popular crop of this year is blueberries.
Yesterday the Dutch embassy and AMHPAC organised a seminar: "Cultivar es Innovar – experiencias de Mexico y Holanda" speaking on protected horticulture in Mexico, growing on substrate and growing by plant empowerment. With every seat filled it showed there's a lot of interest in improving growing circumstances in Mexico.
It's not just the Dutch helping the Mexican growers ahead. For example the Spanish pavilion was visited very well. Here Asthor, Azud, Ininsa, Irritec, Novagric, Plast-Textil, Posviman, Ulma, Agromecanica Agrosan & AlgaEnergy could be found. They helped inform growers on techniques and especially on irrigation.
According to AGRAGEX data, the value of the export of crop protection equipment to Mexico between January and June 2019 was 20% higher than in the same period in 2018. Of the total amount of almost 30 million euros, two thirds was spent on greenhouses.
Also the Israeli companies are a mainstay at the show, helping growers with automation solutions, technical products and greenhouse supplies.
Eric van Geest with NPI supplied the photos of the crowded paths and of course the water silos
Blueberry acreage
Berries are the fifth largest agricultural product in Mexico, and thanks to the quality and traits they present, they have become one of the most important products for worldwide exports. One of the crops that has seen the biggest increase is blueberries.
The team with Dutch Plantin noted a growing demand from blueberry growers. In the photo with Margriet Leemhuis & Erik Plaisier.
In the photo Julio with contacts from the growing blueberry growing industry.
Mexico is the third-largest producer of blueberries in the world. Most of the 40 thousand tons harvested in 2018 were exported to the United States, but Mexico also exports them to Japan, China, Singapore, the Netherlands, Canada, Belgium, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia..
Also at the ExpoAgroalimentaria it's an important crop: growers look for products like substrates or technical supplies to increase their yield.
Unfortunately we're not present in Mexico this year. Please feel free to send your photos of the show per e-mail, so we can publish them on Monday!