Mexico's agricultural market has long been recognized for its significance, particularly in supplying the North American market with fresh produce. The value of Mexican exports, particularly tomatoes, to the United States and Canada has shown a consistent upward trend over the years. In 2014, tomato exports to the US alone accounted for approximately USD$1.66 billion, which grew to nearly USD$2.5 billion by 2022. "As far as I am concerned, this segment will keep growing as long as the purchasing power keeps increasing in the US and Canada," said Mauricio Revah, Managing Director of GreenV Mexico, a full-service partner for Dutch horticulture solutions and service.
As of now, Mexico boasts around 15,200 hectares of high-tech and mid-tech greenhouses. Predicting future growth is complex, heavily influenced by economic factors such as exchange rates, interest rates, and inflation. Despite recent economic challenges, a modest growth rate of 3 to 5% annually is expected, translating to a 15-20% increase in the next 5 years and potentially a 50-70% increase over the next 20 years. Key crops grown in these greenhouses include various tomato varieties, bell peppers, and cucumbers.
"Predicting growth is challenging as it closely ties to economic growth, and recent high inflation, exchange rates, and interest rates have hindered industry development," Mauricio noted.
The driving force behind this development is the increasing demand for high-quality produce at competitive prices in the US and Canada. Moreover, Mexico has accumulated considerable knowledge in productive technologies over the past two decades, with many technicians trained to work in high-tech greenhouses in North America.
"Foreign investment, especially from the US, is limited and marginal, with few projects receiving direct investment," Mauricio explained. "Foreign investors are more interested in securing produce for their markets than significantly contributing to Mexico's greenhouse industry."
Among the regions driving Mexico's horticultural sector, Querétaro stands out. Its strategic importance stems from its favorable climate, infrastructure, and skilled labor force. Situated at 1,900 meters above sea level, Querétaro has a semi-desert climate with mild summers and low humidity. This environment is conducive to advanced technologies like high-pressure misting, which is crucial for controlling temperatures in greenhouses. "Queretaro is a privileged area to grow greenhouse vegetables," Mauricio emphasized. "Its industrial environment also attracts investors and has been the host, for more than 4 years in a row, of the GreenTech Americas."
However, Mexico faces significant challenges related to water scarcity, quality, and depletion of water sources. With water becoming increasingly scarce and valuable, GreenV Mexico, in collaboration with global partners, offers solutions to maximize water reuse in greenhouse irrigation. "It is a reality that the most scarce and precious resource for the industry is water," Mauricio pointed out. "GreenV Mexico, together with its GreenV partners, is tackling this issue by offering a series of technologies from Reverse Osmosis to Ultra Filtration that can help the growers maximize the reuse of their irrigation drain. These innovations promise to alleviate the water-related challenges faced by Mexican growers, ensuring sustainable growth in the greenhouse sector."
"It brings many benefits to Mexican growers that GreenV Mexico is part of the group of GreenV companies. GreenV is the gateway to world-leading horticultural technology, knowledge and experience from the Netherlands. Together with the companies within GreenV and our network of partners, we deliver fully integrated facilities and single-scope solutions."
For more information:
GreenV Mexico
Mauricio Revah
tel +52 442 226 6527
[email protected]
www.greenv.mx