Mexico.- The area where protected agriculture is developed, characterized by production using tools such as greenhouses or shade netting, recorded a 43 percent growth from 2010 to 2016, according to data from the Mexican Association of Protected Horticulture A.C. (AMHPAC).
While in 2010 there were 6,328 hectares under the protected agriculture scheme, in 2016 this figure rose to 9,400 hectares, according to figures from the Association, which were made public during the signing of the collaboration agreement for the exchange of data between the Service of Agro-Food and Fisheries Information (SIAP) and AMHPAC.
In volume, the 2016 production exceeded 1.2 million tons of vegetables, highlighted Alfredo Díaz, general director of the Association.
Therefore, Díaz highlighted the importance of having the necessary information about this growing activity.
“(The information) is a significant input to finally be able to plan our businesses properly, in the sense that they respond to whether there is a market, whether there is programming, budget, and finally all the follow-up and evaluation of what we do,” said Díaz.
Meanwhile, Patricia Ornelas, head director of the SIAP, said that it is necessary to strengthen the data and information about protected agriculture, since it is a method that allows increasing food production on less land, as it is easier to control the process.
Of the 236 members of AMHPAC, 81 percent are dedicated to exports, with 77 percent of the total being sent to the United States, as this control makes it possible to achieve the quality required for the international market, according to information from the Association.
Source:
ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
Jorge Gross
Juan Carlos Madrigal
Sigifredo Murillo
Gerardo Montiel
Carlos Vargas