Puebla launches CITRAA center to process tomatoes into industrial products

The Center for Innovation and Transformation of Agricultural and Aquaculture Products (CITRAA) in Aquixtla, Puebla, has begun transforming fresh tomatoes into various value-added goods. The facility aims to produce tomato paste, ketchup, sauces, and potassium and lycopene capsules to diversify the region's economy and protect farmers from market price fluctuations.

Governor Alejandro Armenta Mier and Agriculture Secretary Ana Laura Altamirano Pérez supervised the construction of the center, which involves an investment of 110.9 million pesos. For the initial phase, 32 tons of tomatoes were purchased from 150 producers across 16 cooperatives at a rate of 18 pesos per kilogram. This raw material is expected to yield approximately 15,000 products, including 3,000 packages of paste, 7,000 containers of ketchup and sauce, and 5,000 potassium capsules, with estimated sales exceeding 2.3 million pesos.

The project seeks to integrate producers from the Sierra Norte into a larger industrial chain. The resulting products, such as the '5 de Mayo' tomato paste, carry Kosher certification and are intended for both domestic and export markets.