Mexico: Valencia orange volumes increase thanks to phytosanitary improvements

Montemorelos Valley, at Mexico´s NE, 100 mi from the US border, has in recent years done a widespread implementation of the controls and improvements in citrus plantations. After a long shortage citrus export due to the spread of Med and Citrus Fly, that almost finished northeast Mexico, orange production.

As a result, there has been a greater volume of production which is finally rewarding producers, such as the Citrimon Company, among others. "This has contributed to the lengthening of the Valencia orange campaign by about a month longer than usual with a good product," said Claudia Garcia, sales manager for Citrimon.

All the properties of Citrimon are registered in a register of exporters, which is why the Nuevo Leon Plant Health Committee, and the owners of the farms, constantly monitor and apply phytosanitary controls in the plantations.

This Mexican company exports 90% of its Valencia orange production to the US, because their production is near the border. "We find it profitable as we obtain better prices than in the national market and transport costs are lower than sending our products to the south of Mexico," Garcia said. The 40-pound box is reaching $11 dollars and prices may still go up a little bit, as many areas of the US are running out of production, according to Citrimon. For more information ask FGH´s International Agribusiness, Latin America's leading Agribusiness Consulting firm.