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Officials Study Tomato Production Throughout
The Country, Including Guanacaste
Officials
Study Tomato Production Throughout The
Country, Including Guanacaste
(InfoWebPress) – The Ministry of Agriculture
(MAG), in coordination with the National
Agricultural Research and Technology
Transfer Program (PITTA), recently organized
the First National Tomato Production
Congress on the fairgrounds of the Sarchi
Civic and Tourism Association, in Alajuela
province.
The activity, which was attended by tomato
farmers from all over the country, touched
upon topics related to pre-production,
production, commercialization and
agribusinesses, among others.
According to Ligia Lopez Marin, manager of
MAG’s National Tomato Program, the congress
was dedicated to the Trojas Tomato
Agro-industrial Association (ASOTROJAS) for
the work they have done in the past few
years to promote tomato production.
Lopez Marin said tomatoes are the second
most popular vegetable crop in the country,
with per capita consumption of 18.6
kilograms.
Tomato farming generates permanent jobs and
income for many families during the entire
year. Officials estimate 1,000 small and
medium producers grow tomatoes in Costa
Rica.
Tomato production in Costa Rica is estimated
at 43.5 tons per hectare in field
conditions, and 150 tons per acre in
protected environments (such as
greenhouses). Total yearly production is
44,000 tons, for 9 billion colones (some
$16.4 million) in annual revenue.
According to Lopez Marin, there are seven
main tomato-growing regions in Costa Rica:
Central Western (Alajuela and Heredia), with
some 585 hectares or 61.86 percent of total
cultivated land; Central Eastern (Cartago),
110 hectares or 11.63 percent of national
tomato land use; Central South (Puriscal,
Santa Ana and San Antonio de Belen), 100.7
hectares or 10.65 percent of the share;
Brunca Region (Perez Zeledon, Buenos Aires,
San Vito), 50 hectares or 5.29 percent;
Central Pacific (Orotina and Miramar), 50
hectares or 5.29 percent; and the Chorotega
Region (Guanacaste cantons of Bagaces,
Nicoya, Abangares, Liberia, La Cruz and
Tilaran), also with 50 hectares or 5.29
percent.
The number of total tomato hectares in the
2006-2007 production period was 945.7.
According to a report by the Agricultural
Services Agency of the MAG, in the Alajuela
canton of Valverde Vega (where Sarchi is
located), cost of tomato farming per hectare
during the rainy months is 7.4 million
colones; while the cost for production
during dry months is lower at 6.2 million
colones per hectare — for an average annual
cost of 6.65 million colones per hectare.
In a move that is expected to promote tomato
production and exports in Costa Rica, Costa
Rican Agriculture Minister Javier Flores and
U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica Peter
Cianchette recently signed a plant health
protocol that will allow exportation of ripe
tomatoes and fresh bell peppers to the
United States
The protocol — which has taken three years
to put together in an effort to address pest
issues related to ripe vegetables —
established the responsibilities of all
players in the production and shipping
process of tomatoes and peppers to the
United States.
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