Where are the main producing regions of Chili Pepper in Mexico?

In Mexico, the main chili-producing states are Chihuahua and Sonora, with 675,131 and 648,222 metric tons in 2020, followed by Zacatecas with 228,933 metric tons, states that together produce 55.1% of the national total; while Fresnillo, Zacatecas is the main producing municipality with 173,606 metric tons.

In Mexico, 82.2% of chili production is obtained in the open air, while 10.0% is in shade mesh and 7.8% in greenhouses. Similarly, the value of open-air production is higher, with 26,145 million pesos against 7,867 for protected agriculture. It is worth mentioning that the greenhouse yield is higher, 105.16 tons per hectare, compared to 18 tons per hectare in the open.

On the other hand, regarding the type of production, more than 99.9% is conventional, leaving practically nothing for organic production, so there is a growth opportunity for farmers who want to work under an organic production system.

Chili production in Mexico has presented an annual average variation of +4.2% during 2011-2020, with the most important variation in 2014 (+25.8%) and the maximum production in 2018 with 2,850,427 metric tons. In 2019 there was a decrease of 4.7% compared to the previous year but in 2020 an increase of 3.7%.