Where are ideal conditions to flourish agriculture & horticulture? In Central America. Water is a big issue. It is no coincidence that this year Greentech Americas will be held in Querétaro Centro de Congresos (QRO), México. From the 21st to 23rd of March, leading suppliers of advanced technologies from all over the world in horticulture will be present. Our colleagues Dennis & Wouter are this week present in Central America to visit customers, deepen their market knowledge and gain new ideas. The 3 takeaways of the event are:

1. The market consists for the most part of Polyhouses. These are greenhouses covered in polyethylene instead of glass. Because of the climate in Central America there’s enough heat, humidity & radiation. This makes the regulation of these circumstances unnecessary. 
2. At Greentech Amsterdam you are blinded by a lot of LED lamps. In Mexico substrates & foils predominate instead. Many stands try to distinguish themselves with organic coconut mats or with a slightly different variant of plastic tunnel material.
3. There are barely sensor suppliers or providers of digital services at the event. Blue Radix is present at the NL pavilion for autonomous cultivation. Hoogendoorn & Letsgrow are also present. Waybeyond is probably the only organization presenting a sensor for measuring climate at the plant level. There’s a lot of room for development in the field of data.

The horticultural sector is developing rapidly, which means there are opportunities in this Latin market. Agriculture and horticulture are responsible for 70% of the total water use in Mexico. At this moment, many agri-food producers rely on obsolete irrigation systems and lack proper wastewater treatment, water reuse, and water catchment technologies. There is a great need for smart solutions. With our technologies + knowledge in the field of sustainability, we want to make positive impact.

Going to Mexico? Doing business in Mexico requires a different approach than in Europe. Download a number of Greentech culture tips & tricks here. Want to share thoughts about water conservation in horticulture? Or meet at Greentech? Contact colleague Wouter via w.vandewetering@sobolt.com.