Aquixtla Growers to Turn 32t of Tomatoes Into Processed Goods

Three cooperatives in Aquixtla, Puebla, will use 32t of tomatoes to make tomato paste, tomato sauce, ketchup, and potassium capsules. The initiative is part of a Puebla government strategy to strengthen the state's agrifood industry and generate more value for farming families.

Ana Laura Altamirano, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Puebla, said the result reflects the state administration's support to help Puebla's agriculture move from primary production to value-added schemes, as happened with Café Puebla Cinco de Mayo. Governor Alejandro Armenta said his administration organizes producers, brings them technology, supports the transformation of raw materials and strengthens commercialization. He explained that this strategy preserves and increases the value of products and prevents breaks in the supply chain for perishable foods.

The state will install its first Tomato Transformation Center in Aquixtla, a project that seeks to turn agricultural production into processed foods for export to the United States. The center will operate under a cooperative scheme to integrate small producers. It is part of the upcoming Center for Innovation and Transformation of Agricultural and Aquaculture Products (CITRAA) for tomatoes, which will include lines to produce derivatives of tomatoes and other farm products.

Armenta said the goal is to stop selling tomatoes only as a raw material and to create higher value-added products. "We are no longer going to give tomatoes away to the United States; we are going to produce tomato sauce, ketchup and extract potassium, because potassium comes from tomatoes," he says.

Armenta adds that the new center is expected to increase exports to the United States. As an example of this potential, he noted that the Puebla Cinco de Mayo brand has generated US$1.5 million in sales in that country, where coffee, mezcal, and jams are among the best-selling products. With tomato-based products, the state seeks to expand that offering and strengthen rural economies.

The strategy comes as Puebla's tomato exporters face pressure in their main market. In 2025, the United States imposed 17.09% duties on Mexican tomato imports over alleged dumping. At the time, Víctor Chedraui, Minister of Economic Development and Labor of Puebla (SEDETRA), said the state would seek more flexible markets through embassies to protect its 150,000t of annual tomato exports. Of these, 98% go to the United States and the rest to Canada. Chedraui denied the dumping accusations and said the duties would hurt US consumers, who would have to pay more for tomatoes.

Puebla's tomato exports are worth US$140 million, with annual growth of 7.6% according to SEDETRA. The state is among Mexico’s main tomato producers, with production valued at MX$1.175 billion. Ten municipalities concentrate production: Aquixtla, Cañada Morelos, Tepanco de Lopez, Ixcaquixtla, San Salvador Huixcolotla, Tetela de Ocampo, Atlixco, Chignahuapan, Tlapanala, and Tehuacan.