China already has a business selling marigold dehydrated that allows it to sell an annual amount of 500 million dollars, whose main buyer, paradoxically, is Mexico.
Mexico has not taken advantage of being the native land of this flower with high health, nutritional and pigmentation properties, said José Luis Sánchez Millán, professor at the Cuautitlán Faculty of Higher Studies of the UNAM.
While China, the expert considered, has developed an industry in the last 20 years, most likely based on genetic engineering, that allows it to sell dehydrated marigolds in various regions of the world.
Within the framework of the conference cycle of the 3rd International Agroindustrial Forum, organized by the National Chamber of the Processing Industry, the researcher spoke about the properties of this Mexican plant that serves as a pigment for the poultry industry, as well as the health properties which are highly recommended for strengthening vision.
The contributions in terms of carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin are important in this flower, which can still be an important business for Mexico, “if there is interest in developing dehydrating plants.”
In Mexico, there are conditions for the production of marigolds due to the improvement in production and marketing costs, he noted.
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Currently, the Chinese company Guangzhou Leader Bio-Technology produces more marigolds than Mexico, said José Luis Sánchez Millán.
“Mexico does not take advantage of the considerable possibility of developing product varieties and its benevolent climate, which will allow it to produce marigolds practically all year round in various regions,” said the UNAM professor.
María de Carmen López Reyna, professor and researcher at the College of Postgraduates (Colpos), warned that at a global level it is necessary to establish other models of associative work within the food industry in the future, especially given the need to strengthen the availability of food and accessibility.
“It is essential to achieve better horizontal, vertical and diagonal integration chains, which allow thousands of small and medium-sized companies in Mexico and the world access to value chains, since internationally, these produce between 35 percent and 40 percent percent of food, they can even do it in a healthier way than large corporations,” he commented.
For the expert, it cannot be allowed that only the United States is buying arable land and that 5 multinationals control 63 percent of the seed market and 74 percent of agrochemicals.
“Only 4 brands control 70 percent of the trade in basic agricultural products, 10 companies control 41 percent of the market in fertilizers and 7 in animal pharmaceuticals control 72 percent of sales, among other examples,” he detailed.
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He warned that rethinking the agri-food system would allow greater joint work between agronomists, doctors, food engineers and all participants in this system.
“The rethinking of the agri-food system will prevent around 2 billion people from being malnourished, 1.5 billion from some level of obesity and 40 million people from dying from diseases related to poor nutrition, as well as more than 20 people dying in Mexico every day.” due to hunger,” said the Colpos researcher.
