TECHNICAL-ECONOMIC INDICATORS OF TOMATO CROP UNDER PROTECTED AGRICULTURE IN THE LAGUNERA REGION, MEXICO

Abstract

: Tomato cultivation is very important due to its high consumption as a culinary ingredient and its wide adaptation to climatic and soil factors. Mexico is in tenth place worldwide and this product is one of the most exported vegetables, mainly to the United States of America. In 2020, the Comarca Lagunera allocated an area of 984 ha under shade mesh with a production of 138,036 tons. Due to the economic and social importance in the region, the objective was to determine the productivity indicators of water, soil, labor and capital, which will support the producer to make better decisions. To carry out the study, five production units under shade mesh that occupied 50 % of the total planted area were selected through systematic sampling and the necessary information was obtained through a survey, finding that the average value of the indicators was 11.9 kg. tomato per square meter; 54.3 kg of tomato per cubic meter of water, and 61.9 and 99.7 pesos the net income obtained per square meter of surface and cubic meter of water, respectively. The highest values were registered by the largest production units, concluding that this behavior is due to the greater economy of scale and greater care with which the crop is managed.