Jalisco - The sustained growth of temperate strawberry plantations "is a successful example of the so-called productive reconversion of Jalisco's fields because of its high impact in multiplying the producer's income and generating well-paid employment," stated the head of the Ministry of Rural Development (Seder) in Jalisco, Hector Padilla Gutierrez.

Padilla Gutierrez highlighted the growing expansion of berries in the Jalisco field. He said that berry production generated 300,000 jobs at harvest time, "we are in the process of substituting low value crops with higher value crops."

He said that they needed to convince producers to get rid of their traditional crops and to change them for other crops that generated more income and jobs for the whole family, as that was the most important instrument of productive restructuring.

The official commented that berry cultivation was increasing in the municipality of Jocotepec, "there is an impressive quantity of crops in the south, but two years ago there wasn't a single hectare in the Valles area, here by the municipalities of Ameca, Etzatlán and Tala, now there are as 600 or 700 hectares," he stated.

He also emphasized that the companies that commercialized the berries have been examples of responsible organizations regarding social security and the compliance with environmental standards in the entity.

Apart from the direct impact that the berry has on the field, "where Jalisco is the national leading producer of cranberry and raspberry, these crops also have a favorable economic effect on other sectors, such as transportation, logistics, etcetera."

"Mexico currently exports berries to 32 countries. The main destinations are the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, the Netherlands, Canada, Belgium, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia," he said.