Growers and exporters face significant headwinds as they ease into 2025, according to Aneberries
Mexican exports of fresh strawberries, raspberries and blueberries fell by 2.2 per cent in 2024 and are poised for a similar contraction this year, according to industry association Aneberries.
It said adverse climate, increased input costs, the volatility of the peso-dollar exchange rate and labour shortages had affected the berry market in recent years and are likely to hit production and exports in 2025.
“We see 2025 with challenges, above all, because we come from a couple of seasons where weather conditions are making production more difficult. The labour shortage is also a challenge – some of the largest producers say they have a deficit of 15 per cent in their workforce. And the currency situation has not helped at all,” Aneberries’ general director, ), Juan José Flores, told El Economista.
The fluctuating exchange rate has made life difficult for exporters. In the first six months of 2024, the peso remained relatively strong against the dollar, with an average price of 16.94 units per dollar, according to data from the Bank of Mexico (Banxico).
However, in the second half of the year, the peso depreciated by 19 per cent against the dollar compared to its price at the beginning of 2024, Flores noted.
According to Aneberries, Mexico’s berry production in 2024 was on course to reach 800,000 tonnes in 2024. This is 27.3 per cent down on the 1.1mn tonnes reached in the previous year. Exports totalled around 529,000 tonnes in 2024, down from 541,000 tonnes in the previous year.
Mexico’s main export markets are the US and Canada, which together account for 95 per cent of shipments. The remaining 5 per cent is distributed between Europe and Asia, with the main destinations being the Netherlands, the UK, Spain, Japan, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
“As in 2024, 2025 shows a panorama of lower volumes. The sector is at a turning point that will bring important challenges, so producers with more formal administrative and production processes, as well as greater stability in their marketing, will be the ones who will be able to face these challenges,” Flores concluded.
