Taking advantage of US market for tomatoes: a pending task for farmers and the government
Mexico exports almost entirely all its tomatoes to the US, but their consumption per capita has been stuck for two decades.
Mexico is one of the leading tomato exporters worldwide, and the US is its largest customer. However, the grower and entrepreneur Georgius Gotsis from Sinaloa, CEO of Veggies from Mexico, warns that there are opportunities that have been missed for at least ten years.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, tomato consumption per capita in the US has been stuck for two decades. Meanwhile, the consumption of another key product, avocados, has increased by up to 200% in the same period.
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Gotsis attributes this to avocado growers, along with government organizations, who have promoted actions to expand their market. For example, creating “Avocados from Mexico” brand in 2013, which promotes domestic avocado consumption in the US and the world.
In the seven years since its creation, AFM has managed to double the volume of avocados imported from Mexico to the northern neighbor. The total value of these sales increased from $1.2 billion in 2014 to $2.4 billion in 2021.
“This level of market penetration can be attributed to the innovative and pioneering strategies our marketing team has launched over the years,” this brand states in its press releases.
Marketing efforts have been accompanied by investments in studies and research on the beneficial properties of the product, something that has also been lacking when it comes to tomatoes, says Gotsis.
“If you and I ask ourselves what benefits tomatoes have, we will say it is a vegetable, it has lycopene which is an antioxidant, and all vegetables are good for you. That is as far as we go, when I know there are a number of very broad benefits that in avocados, these are already being promoted. I believe we can do that with tomatoes, continue investigating their benefits,” the grower explains.
As an example of a successful initiative, he mentions the Hass Avocado Promotion, Research and Information Program, a program in the US funded by a mandatory fee of 2.5 cents per pound of Hass avocados imported or grown in the US. This fee is used to fund research on their nutritional benefits.
The native from Sinaloa considers that undertaking similar actions aimed at tomato research and promotion, should be a priority today for growers not only in Mexico; but also, in the US. Increasing demand for this product would benefit all those who supply tomatoes into the American market.
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To achieve this, he states that it is essential that both farmers and buyers are willing to collaborate.
“Although we can plant that seed, it is the grower and importer who must make the choice of pushing it forward.”
Today, both Mexican and US farmers, supported by their government authorities, are stuck in an already old conflict over the tomato market, with dumping accusations dating back to 30 years ago. This year, a penalty against Mexican tomatoes is once again threatening, and it is expected to go into effect on July 14.
“Why, instead of fighting over a market, we turn this into a broader market where we are all able to grow?
[…] If we are already investing in lawyers, travel, and time. Why not focus on promoting consumption?
TOMATO IS KEY IN MEXICO AND SINALOA INTERNATIONAL SALES.
Only in 2024, Mexico exported about 1.88 million tons of tomatoes, from which 1.87 million tons (or nearly 98%) went to our northern neighbor, generating revenues of $3,243 millions of dollars.
Sinaloa leads tomato production in Mexico, representing about 20% of total domestic production.
Sinaloa is also the largest exporter of tomatoes in the US, representing 41% of the total volume sent to our neighbor. International tomato sales generated $1.066 billion for Sinaloa in 2024 and were the main activity that year.
By: Daniel Villaman
Source: www.revistaespejo.com
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