Mexico could set tomato export record in 2021

According to USDA projections, Mexican tomato exports will reach a new all-time high in 2021.

Mexico is coming off having already broken a record in 2020, with the value of shipments increasing by 20.5 percent and volume increasing 5.1 percent year on year, as reported by El Economista.

From January to March 2021 tomato exports totaled $829 million reflecting an increase of 5.1 percent year-over-year, with almost all of those shipments going to the U.S.

The reopening of restaurant and hotel industry in the U.S. and Mexico, the renegotiation of the Tomato Suspension Agreement, and higher export prices have encouraged more tomato planting.

All of this adds to the tomato already being the most exported agricultural product by Mexico, with a constant growth in recent years.

In terms of volume, Mexican tomato exports were 579,000 tons, reflecting an increase of 9.5 percent in the first quarter of 2021.

The USDA estimates that Mexican tomato exports for the 2021-2022 season (October-September) will total 1.83 million tons, 2 percent higher than the previous cycle. While for the 2020-2021 season, the USDA estimates exports will be 1.8 million tons.