The production and export of Mexican berries has faced challenges in recent years due to factors such as labor shortages, rising input costs, and volatility in the exchange market.

This was announced by the director of the National Association of Berry Exporters (Aneberries), Juan José Flores, after mentioning that the market has registered a reduction of approximately 11% in volumes.

He estimated that in 2024, berry exports (which include strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries) will reach around 529 thousand tons, compared to the 541 thousand tons exported in 2023.

A similar scenario is expected for next year, with a drop in export and production volumes, said the president of Aneberries during the Second Press Tour of Agricultural Journalism organized by the Mexican Association of Journalists and Directors of Agricultural Media (AMEXMA) and The International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ).

"The slowdown is explained by macroeconomic issues... the strengthening of the peso against the dollar did not help, nor did the increase in the cost of inputs or climate change," he said.

Export leader
However, he stressed that Mexico has become the leading exporter of berries to the United States and Canada. Increases in volumes have been showing a good performance until the 2021-2022 harvest period.

However, starting in the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 periods, “we are talking about 17% less exports,” he said.

The president of the National Association of Berry Exporters highlighted the sector as an important source of employment in Mexico.

Between 63.000 and 500 jobs are generated in the 600 hectares of farmland. Workers in the sector, mostly women, earn between three and four times the minimum wage.

Approximately 2.5 million pesos are paid out in wages each week, which boosts the economy of the producing regions.

This is how it moves to production
In 2023, berry production in Mexico reached a total volume of 540.980 tons, according to data from the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The breakdown by crop type was: Blueberry 74,067.40 tons; raspberry 121,842.40 tons; strawberry 267,587.90 tons; blackberry 77,482.50 tons

By 2024, the Aneberries Statistics Department has calculated, based on official sources, that berry production in Mexico could reach an approximate volume of 486.881 tons.

The estimate by type of crop is as follows: Blueberry 60,317 tons; raspberry 105,133 tons; strawberry 249,116 tons; blackberry 72,314 tons.

They will explore new markets
Juan José Flores explained that despite these challenges, Aneberries remains focused on diversifying markets and increasing its presence in new regions, as demonstrated by the ongoing campaign to strengthen exports to countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

“In addition to being present in 28 countries, we continue to work with governments to reach South Korea, India, Thailand, among other countries. Diversification is very important for us,” he said.

As for exports, 95% of Mexican berries go to North America, mainly to the United States and Canada, while the remaining 5% goes to markets such as Europe and Asia, with countries such as Holland, the United Kingdom and Japan among the main destinations.

Despite the strong export vocation, the president of Aneberries emphasized the need to promote the consumption of berries among Mexicans, since the country has great potential to increase its internal demand.

In this context, greater collaboration is sought with the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader), the National Service for Health, Safety and Food Quality (SENASICA) and state governments to promote campaigns that encourage local consumption.

Through these strategic alliances, Aneberries aims to strengthen the promotion of berries in the Mexican market, with the aim of creating a more robust consumption habit that, in turn, benefits national producers.

“We need to work hard on marketing if we want to make the Mexican population a big consumer of berries… We Mexicans have to consume more berries. We need to put resources into research, marketing, and presence in large international centers, but that requires a lot of resources,” he said.

Juan José Flores also spoke about sustainability as a central axis for sustainable production over time.

He highlighted that with certain irrigation techniques, some berry producers in Jalisco have managed to reduce water consumption in production by 30%, as well as their dependence on fertilizers.