Anticipation is building for GreenTech Americas 2024

GreenTech Americas organisers are preparing for their fourth edition of this horticultural trade show between 12 and 14 March 2024 at the Querétaro Congress Center (QCC), Mexico.

GreenTech Americas is the only event specialising in the greenhouse production of high-value crops in the Americas region. The trade show offers an ‘open to all visitors’ GreenTech Stage, an educational Conference Programme and a Power Day.

International and regional high-level speakers will inspire investors, importers, exporters and producers on how to grow high-quality crops. Topics like’ Virus management’, ‘Sustainable use of substrates’, ‘The road to sustainable protected horticulture’ and ‘Human skills make the difference’ will be discussed.

With 200 companies from 20 countries, the exhibition floor is completely sold out.

Mexico is the perfect host country for GreenTech Americas. The Mexican Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reports that the country has a strong and thriving horticultural industry, which produces more than 40.2 million tons of fruits and vegetables each year, contributing to territorial development, national food security and the growth of the agri-food sector.

In 2023, 51,853 hectares of covered surface were planted for the production of vegetables, fruit trees and ornamentals, and from 2003 to 2022, this surface increased by 2,700 hectares annually.

The states of Jalisco, Sinaloa, Coahuila, Michoacán and Sonora cover a total of 34,000 hectares and represent 67 per cent of Mexico’s national protected agriculture, where tomato and apple cultivation stands out with 12,000 hectares of shade halls.

GreenTech Americas has become a strategic platform for protected agriculture and floriculture in Mexico and Latin America, attracting a record audience in 2023 with the participation of more than 5,000 professionals who had the opportunity to learn how to produce more with fewer resources, achieve efficient use of land, water, fertilisers, pesticides, labour and energy.

Mariska Dreschler, Director of Horticulture, GreenTech Global, says, “In this vibrant tropical region, the quest for adaptive technology and water savings takes precedence, guided by the shared knowledge of world-leading growers. A proud commitment to regional adaptation fuels the search for sustainable solutions, particularly through Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). Our vision extends to providing fresh, local food for all, breaking free from global dependencies and embracing deglobalisation for a future rooted in resilience and sustainability.”

José Navarro, Commercial Vice President Informa Markets, emphasises that protected horticulture continues to grow in Mexico and the region thanks to its benefits to improve the quantity and quality of crops, and it is a more sustainable technique than traditional agriculture, which allows for saving water and energy.

National and international experts will participate in the Conference Programme and share their knowledge on how to grow high-quality crops. Opportunities for protected horticulture in the region will be analysed, in addition to sharing new practices that increase crop productivity.

The keynote speaker, Stijn Weijns (Agro Care Rilland), will explain all about the ‘Strategies for control and management of ToBRFV’, including the do’s and don’ts.

The Power Day, hosted by Peter Klapwijk (2Harvest), will bring together knowledge and power in the industry to collectively discuss human capacity & skills. A platform is created where horticulture professionals can find each other for further cooperation.

The event is supported by the Asociación Mexicana de Horticultura Protegida A.C. (AMHPAC); the Centro Universitario CEICKOR; the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; Netherlands Business Support Office in Querétaro; UTEQ; among other prestigious organisations and institutions, which will provide a greater exchange of knowledge, experiences and success stories among industry suppliers from Mexico and other countries.