Tomato Production

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.