A 10-tonne consignment of blueberries from the state of Jalisco was shipped to Singapore this week, marking the first ever seafreighted export of berries from the Mexican state to South East Asia. The shipment was carried out by Tuxpan-based Berries Paradise.

The state’s governor, Aristóteles Sandoval Díaz, said the event marked the beginning of a new era for the state’s berry producers, who are looking to diversify their export markets and logistics.

According to Sandoval, Jalisco’s berry production has tripled in the past seven years, rising from 13,000 tonnes in 2009 to more than 46,000 tonnes this year.

Thanks to government policies to support and train local producers, the state’s agricultural products now reach some 77 markets across the globe, he said.

The federal government has provided tens of thousands of dollars of funding to enable producers to introduce more modern production and irrigation technology.

Berry production generates employment for around 20,000 people in Jalisco. In 2014, the state accounted for around 62 per cent of Mexico’s blueberry and raspberry production, with volumes reaching 7,834 tonnes and 22,261 tonnes respectively.

In 2015, berry exports generated US$600m and were shipped to 17 countries. The US absorbed 80 per cent of exports, while 9 per cent was shipped to Europe, 5 per cent to Asia and 3 per cent to other markets.

Photo: Unión Jalisco

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