Mexico’s Greenhouse Farming Revolution and Global Impact

Good morning readers,

Mexico has emerged as a powerhouse in global agriculture, particularly in fruit and vegetable production. With its diverse climates and strategic location, the country has become a key exporter of tomatoes, peppers, and other crops.

Over the past 15 years, Mexico's greenhouse industry has undergone significant transformation, adapting advanced technologies to meet growing international demand.

This article delves into the country's agricultural prominence and the innovations driving its greenhouse sector forward.

What We Are Covering Today?

• The Prominence Of Mexico In The World’s Agriculture

• Evolution Of The Greenhouse Industry Over the Last 15 Years

• The Mexican Highlands: Ideal Conditions

• What Are The Main Crops Grown?

• Challenges and Opportunities In Mexico

• Complementary Sources:

Thank you, Adolfo Minero Amador, greenhouse cultivation and technical support specialist with Harnois Greenhouses in Mexico, for your valuable input.

WORLD AGRICULTURE
The Prominence Of Mexico In The World’s Agriculture

Mexico is prominent in the global fruit and vegetable production landscape, ranking among the top 10 producing countries worldwide. This status is mainly due to its diverse climatic and geographic conditions that allow for year-round cultivation of a wide variety of crops, including avocados, tomatoes, peppers, berries, and mangoes (Produce Pay, 2023).

Mexico is the world's largest exporter of tomatoes, which are in high demand in international markets. In 2021, Mexico exported over 1.7 million metric tons of tomatoes, with significant economic value (Produce Pay, 2023). The country's fruit and vegetable exports collectively generated $18 billion in 2022, underscoring their critical importance to Mexico's economy.

The greenhouse industry in Mexico has experienced significant growth and transformation over the past 15 years, particularly in cultivating fruits and vegetables using polyethylene greenhouses. This expansion is driven by the country's favorable climate, strategic geographical location, and increasing demand for fresh produce in the United States.

LOOKING BACK
Evolution Of The Greenhouse Industry Over the Last 15 Years

The Mexican greenhouse industry has evolved from simple tunnel and low-tech production to more sophisticated greenhouse systems. This transition is mainly due to the increasing demand for larger, more efficient structures for better climate control and light management. Companies like Harnois have introduced plastic greenhouses like the Luminosa 14,4m that maximize Central Mexico's favorable light levels and climate conditions, enabling growers to expand their operations significantly every few years.

Flashback from Adolfo Minero Amador

Adolfo Minero Amador has in-depth knowledge of the Mexican greenhouse market. He has been active for over 30 years as a crop manager and consultant for companies such as Harnois.

Greenhouse production in Mexico began in the '70s, mainly for producing ornamental plants, forest transplants, and vegetables. Full-cycle vegetable production began in the early 90s in small trial areas and with very simple, low-tech structures. It was at this point that Harnois arrived in Mexico (1991), originally in agreement with the Mexican government and the Canadian International Aid Agency, to make a technology transfer into the production of forest transplants with Quebecois technologies in this field, i.e., greenhouses, irrigation booms, precision fertilization, substrate technology, etc.

This is how the Mexican reforestation program has evolved today: by propagating forest seedlings.

In 1991, given that the initiation of market garden trials in greenhouses was directed at basic technology production, Harnois saw the opportunity to make a technology transfer in this field, too, but with a high-tech vision adapted to Mexican conditions (including automation, heating, management by software specialized in climate and irrigation management, etc.).

So, from this point onwards, we have seen the evolution and growth of the greenhouse industry in Mexico (see Figure 1 and Fig 2 below), which evolved in the 90s from some < 50 hectares (Fig 1) to over 47,000 ha of protected horticulture in 2021, including all levels of technology, including 20,000 ha of greenhouses (Fig 2).

At that time (90s), the region with the most technology-intensive market-gardening mentality was in the northwest of the country, in the provinces of Sonora and Sinaloa. By this time, they were already using computer-controlled drip irrigation systems for their field production.

Some low-tech tomato and bell pepper greenhouse projects were still experimental in those years. However, in the country's center, only vegetable production had a “greenhouse” project that originally was flower production. Still, there was no market, so it was converted to tomato production, with a very low level of technology and success. At this point, Harnois saw the opportunity to introduce the technology for hydroponic English cucumber production in the province of Sonora. Harnois began introducing high-tech concepts and hydroponic production right from the start in the early 90s.

Structures and project layouts were adapted to the regions and market garden crops. Harnois developed the Oasis greenhouse with retractable exterior shade cloth for the country's north-western region. For the semi-desert region, the design included micro-sprinklers to wet the cloth and act as a humidifier. The first design extinguishes at a height of 3.6 m with a gutter. By the year 2000, the Nordique design had been adapted to Mexican climatic conditions. It was from this point onwards that the Luminosa greenhouse began to evolve in height (6.5 and 7.0 m gutter) and width (14.4 and 16.0 m), making it, according to some of the key head-growers, one of the best-performing greenhouses in the industry. In this respect, Harnois has been a leader in technology and production levels.

A PERFECT ENVIRONMENT
The Mexican Highlands: Ideal Conditions

Due to several key factors, the Mexican highlands offer ideal conditions for vine-crop cultivation in mid-tech greenhouses. The region's high altitude provides a temperate climate with cool nights and warm days, creating optimal temperature differentials for plant growth. This natural climate control reduces the need for expensive heating and cooling systems, making mid-tech greenhouses more cost-effective.

The Mexican highlands receive abundant sunlight throughout the year, promoting photosynthesis and crop development. The dry climate helps minimize fungal diseases, while the availability of water resources from mountain streams supports irrigation needs. Although the region boasts fertile volcanic soils, most modern greenhouse growers in the highlands have adopted soilless media techniques. These hydroponic or substrate-based systems allow for precise control of nutrient delivery, water efficiency, and root health, further optimizing growing conditions for vine crops. This shift from traditional soil cultivation to soilless media has enabled growers to maximize yields, improve crop quality, and enhance overall production efficiency in their mid-tech greenhouse operations.

Moreover, the Mexican geographic location offers strategic advantages for greenhouse operations, particularly in their proximity to major urban centers and export markets. Crucially, the region's location allows for efficient transportation of produce to the United States and Canada. The well-developed road infrastructure enables quick and cost-effective shipping by truck, significantly reducing transit times and preserving product freshness. This geographical advantage, combined with Mexico's agricultural expertise and experienced workforce, contributes substantially to the success of greenhouse operations in the highlands. The controlled environment of mid-tech greenhouses, coupled with these logistical benefits, allows for extended growing seasons and higher yields of high-quality vine crops such as tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. The ability to rapidly deliver fresh produce to North American markets gives Mexican growers a competitive edge in meeting the demand for year-round fresh vegetables in these lucrative export destinations. 

VARIETIES GROWN
What Are The Main Crops Grown?

Tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers are the main crops grown in Mexican greenhouses. These crops benefit significantly from the greenhouses' controlled environment, which allows for better management of variables such as temperature, humidity, and pest control.

Tomatoes are particularly prominent, with high yields achieved through protected agriculture technologies like gutter-connected greenhouses. This method allows for year-round production, crucial for meeting domestic and export market demands, especially in the United States and Canada.

The grower voice from Adolfo Minero Amador

Project performance is linked to a combination of factors, including what I mentioned earlier. The two main greenhouse productions are tomatoes (Beef, TOV, Saladette, Cocktail, Cherry, and Grape) and Pepper. For example, in the case of Beef Tomatoes and hydroponic TOV, the average in high-tech greenhouses in Mexico is 60-70 kg/m2. At the same time, in our project with Harnois, we have observed production of 80 to 90 kg/m2 with very experienced growers and a 40-week harvest cycle.

The average bell pepper production in Mexico in high-tech hydroponic greenhouses is between 28 and 30 kg/m2, with a 40-week harvest cycle. In a couple of our projects, production is 37 Kg/m2 to 43 Kg/m2, in both cases with highly experienced growers.

LOOKING FURTHERsale
Challenges and Opportunities In Mexico

Looking at the Challenges Faced By The Industry

Labor Efficiency:

The shortage of skilled labor is a significant challenge for the Mexican greenhouse industry, as a considerable portion of the qualified agricultural workforce often seeks employment opportunities overseas, particularly in the United States and Canada. This migration exacerbates the difficulty of retaining the country's most experienced and talented workers. As a result, growers are compelled to achieve better results with fewer resources, necessitating the adoption of innovative practices and technologies to maintain productivity. Retaining skilled labor is essential for sustaining the growth and competitiveness of Mexico's greenhouse sector, making it a critical area for industry focus and development…

Pest and Disease Control:

The prevalence of pests and diseases, particularly the Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV), significantly threatens productivity in the Mexican greenhouse industry. In recent years, ToBRFV has substantially impacted tomato yields, causing considerable economic losses for growers (Zhang and al., 2022). The virus can lead to severe symptoms, including leaf mosaics, fruit deformation, and brown rugose patches on fruits, significantly reducing marketable yields. While new resistant varieties are being developed, they are not yet fully operational or commercially available. The process of breeding and introducing resistant varieties takes time, and growers are still grappling with the challenges posed by this highly infectious tobamovirus. In the meantime, strict hygiene protocols and preventive measures are crucial to mitigate the spread of ToBRFV.

Other pests, such as weevil worms, continue to threaten crop health. Effective integrated pest management systems are essential for maintaining productivity and quality in greenhouse operations. These systems must evolve to address emerging threats while considering the environmental impact and consumer demands for reduced pesticide use.

Water Scarcity:

With global warming exacerbating water shortages, efficient water management and recirculation systems are essential for sustainable production.

The grower voice from Adolfo Minero Amador

Today's challenges are numerous: water scarcity, climate change, pest pressure, new diseases, lack of manpower, lack of crop managers, management of new varieties, and so on.

Opportunities In The Industry

1. Technological Advancements: Integrating automation and data management systems offers opportunities to enhance operational efficiency and productivity.

2. Market Expansion: Mexico's position as a leading supplier of fresh produce to the United States presents significant export opportunities, encouraging further investment in greenhouse infrastructure.

3. Innovation in Greenhouse Design: The demand for larger and more efficient greenhouse structures continues to grow, providing opportunities for companies to innovate and offer solutions that meet these needs.

4. Waste management and valorization: With the large amount of waste generated by large greenhouse complexes, there are ways of recovering it and obtaining co-products with added value.

The evolution of technologies, including greenhouse structure, air volume, precision ventilation management, irrigation, fertilization, climate, crop manager knowledge and expertise, and genetic improvement of crops, has dramatically increased productivity per m2.

Overall, the polyethylene greenhouse industry in Mexico is poised for continued growth, driven by technological advancements and the increasing demand for high-quality produce. However, addressing labor, pest control, and water management challenges will be essential for sustaining this growth.

Last words from Adolfo Minero Amador

Nowadays, we need to analyze the performance of our structures in relation to the challenges mentioned and re-design or re-configure where necessary. I have always accompanied the growers in sharing new technologies and how to source technical information in managing their greenhouses and production.

Complementary Sources:

Agricultural products in Mexico with the highest income (Produce Pay, 2023).

Gutter-connected commercial greenhouse (Harnois Industries)

Mexican greenhouse production soars (The Packer, 2019).

Mexico’s 10 most successful fruit and vegetable exports (Produce Pay, 2023).