Technical-economic study to identify areas with potential to produce pineapple in the humid tropics of Mexico

In order to identify the productive and economic potential of pineapple cultivation at the hydrological response unit, basin and state level, considering the yield and the cost-benefit ratio (RB/C), a technical-economic study was carried out, in the main producing states of the Humid Tropics of Mexico. To this end, the potential yield of total aerial biomass and pineapple fruit was simulated and mapped in nine states in the south-southeast of Mexico and the areas with the greatest potential for cultivation were identified. Likewise, the establishment, maintenance and income costs of the shade net technology package were estimated and the financial profitability of the crop was evaluated for each identified region. The results show that pineapple cultivation is profitable when more than 45.8 t ha is produced. 596 666 ha were identified with the potential to produce pineapple, located in Campeche, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Puebla, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, Veracruz and Yucatán, being the state of Campeche the one that presented the highest yield (90 t ha) and a RB/C of 1.88. It is concluded that pineapple production is profitable in those regions that present ideal agroecological conditions for its production.