A Mexican horticulture sector leader says U.S. anti-dumping rules have led to a slight decline in tomato production, with many growers now looking to alternative crops.

AMHPAC president Juan Ariel Reyes.

Mexican Association of Protected Horticulture (AMHPAC) president Juan Ariel Reyes says while the figures are not official, he would estimate an 8-10% fall in tomato production, while crops like bell peppers and cucumbers have likely witnessed a volume rise of 5%.

"The anti-dumping price is a necessary evil, but the the lesson we were given in practice as tomato growers was in working to get the best possible agreement with our neighbors in the United States," Reyes tells www.freshfruitportal.com.

"The small changes are precisely because in some periods of the year there are oversupplies of tomato production, and evidently the market is saturated and prices fall.

"When prices fall, it's difficult to get the minimum anti-dumping price, and we have to sell the product domestically without disparaging the local market. When more product stays in Mexico, the price falls terribly."

With 240 members in his group who grow fruits and vegetables over 9,000 hectares, Reyes encourages more Mexican farmers to join AMHPAC and focus on unity rather than competition.

"We need to be organized and growing in a continuous way with quality and safety, trying to offer the best product possible to our buyers year after year, month after month," he says.

"Another big challenge we have is that some growers believe that within Mexico we are in competition with Mexico, when in my opinion we are not competitors with each other. The competition is Canada, because Mexico and Canada compete to supply the United States market.

"At the end of the day, improvements in Canada and improvements in the U.S. oblige us to be better."

In this context, he says Mexican growers need to stick to the same course, and not focus too much on technology as a differentiating factor.

"Of the 9,000 hectares where our members grow, that ranges from shading nets to the latest greenhouse technology, in 25 states of the Republic.

"There are growers who produce eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, habanero chiles, all the varieties, but what does technological differentiation have to do with it? There is no bad or good technology.

"What is important is producing a product that is of quality and is safe and certified."

www.freshfruitportal.com