Varieties, regions and production cycles
When dealing with cucumbers for export, it is important to note that these fall under two main categories: table cucumber for slicing and pickling cucumber. The first represents about 80% of the export volume, and it consists of several varieties, including American (Or Chinese), European (or English or Dutch) and long cucumber. Meanwhile, regarding gherkins, while they are exported fresh, their main destination is the agroindustry, where they are treated for their use by fast food chains.
The importance of Mexico's cucumber production is based on the promotion of this vegetable's cultivation in recent decades as one of the major winter crops. For the state with the largest production, Sinaloa, cucumbers are the second most important vegetable, both in terms of export and production volumes.
Cucumber cultivation concentrates in various regions, among which are the valleys of Culiacan, Mocorito and Guasave, and the regions of Los Mochis and Cruz de Elota.
The production area's characteristics, as well as the vegetable's short growing season, make it possible to produce in an autumn-winter and a spring cycle. Most regions start on 1 October, while the first harvests are obtained from 15 November and up to 30 April.
Increased cucumber production and yield
Sinaloa's planted acreage has been decreasing steadily over the years, while production has remained relatively constant, which points to improvements in the yield, brought about in part by the introduction of shade nettings and greenhouses.
Production volumes have traditionally surpassed the 200,000 tonnes, except in the 2008-2011 period, which led to the drastic drop of 2011, when half of the acreage was destroyed, which resulted in a production of less than 90,000 tonnes. Fortunately, the cucumber production in 2012 set a new record, surpassing 280,000 tonnes, with over 61% grown in protected conditions. That same year, the average yield was 74 tonnes/hectare; much higher than in previous campaigns.
Technology has been the most determining factor to achieve this yield. Factors such as the increased use of improved seeds, which has resulted in higher yields and a longer shelf life; the use of fertigation methods that allow for two harvests to be carried out during a single cycle, as well as the use of precision seed drilling and padding that allows not only to control moisture, but also pests and diseases, are some of the technological advances made in this horticultural sector.
Source: Hortalizas.com
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