The production of amaranth in Tulyehualco Xochimilco, Mexico City

Abstract

During 2010-2019 amaranth has been cultivated in at least 11 states in Mexico, in Mexico City is grown in the municipalities of Xochimilco, Milpa Alta and Tláhuac, highlighting Xochimilco for harvested area and production with 82.9 ha and 91.7 t which represents 60.4% and 55.6% respectively. The objective of the research is to know the form of production and commercialization of amaranth in Tulyehualco, Xochimilco to identify and propose improvement actions. The information was obtained through the application of a survey through a non-probability sampling for convenience, with the criterion of selection of individuals who were willing to be surveyed, and the survey was applied from September to December 2019, to 35 producers, 3 marketers and 4 transformers. The production of amaranth is carried out in two ways, by means of chapin and directly, by its traditional way of producing it the crop is ancestral in those areas, so there is a millenary knowledge of the families that are dedicated to the planting of the crop. Amaranth production has a positive cost benefit ratio R (B / C), however in direct sowing production this is better. Planting with a seedbed (Chapin) has higher costs and yield, however, this does not compensate the producer in profits. For a potential impact at the amaranth production level, the adoption of technologies related to density, nutrition and technical recommendations for pest and disease control.