The Mexican government expects food and agriculture exports from the country to rise to US$23m in value terms this year, ahead of the record US$22m set in 2011.
Between 2007 and 2011, exports grew by 50 per cent from US$15.3m to more than US$22m, according to the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture’s (Sagarpa) general coordinator of international affairs, Kenneth Smith Ramos.
During a press conference, Sagarpa said that if achieved the export expectations for this year would cement Mexico’s position as the twelfth-largest exporter of food and agriculture products.
The country’s main export products in the produce category include tomatoes, chilli peppers, peppers and avocados, among others.
Sagarpa estimates that by the end of this year, sendings to the US will have expanded by 66 per cent to reach an estimated US$19m.
But although the US market continues to dominate of Mexico’s agriculture export trade, Smith Ramos said the country has also been making great efforts to diversify its markets to regions including Europe and Central America.
In particular, he said that Sagarpa has prioritised the strengthening of Mexico’s food safety systems, which has paved the way for access to some of the biggest fruit and vegetable markets in the world, among others.
