Mexico. The North American nation and the Netherlands recently signed a Letter of Intent to carry out a pilot project to support a cold chain in the country, and agreed to the installation of a high-level working group to strengthen scientific and technological cooperation in the different fields related to this.
Cooperation will be provided in the areas of agrologistics, protected agriculture, horticulture, health, agroparks, auction system of products and genetic material for pigs and poultry.
The project will be developed by the Wageningen University and Research Centre and the Netherlands will provide 100 thousand euros for this purpose. The university center collaborated in the feasibility studies and master plan for the construction of agroparks in Aguascalientes, Nayarit and Chiapas that are part of the actions of the national agrologistics program.
The head of Sagarpa, Enrique Martínez y Martínez, and the Minister of Agriculture of the Netherlands, Sharon Dijksma, signed these agreements. "This strategic alliance becomes more relevant on the eve of the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Economic Partnership, Political Coordination and Cooperation Agreement between Mexico and the European Union, a propitious scenario for the review and updating of the agreement in the agri-food sector," said Martínez y Martínez.
Last year, Mexican exports to the European Union exceeded two billion dollars; a The Netherlands exports were $218 million and imports from Mexico totaled $188 million.
In a statement, Sagarpa explained that between 2099 and 2013, Mexico's exports to the Netherlands were mainly frozen orange juice; lemon, berries, horse meat, green coffee, beer, banana, tomato seed, fructose, sesame and avocado seed, among others.
With information from www.jornada.unam.mx
