Resumen

ZARAZUA-ESCOBAR, José Alberto; ALMAGUER-VARGAS, Gustavo  y  MARQUEZ-BERBER, Sergio Roberto. Innovation networks in the strawberry production system in Zamora, Michoacán, Mexico. Rev. Chapingo Ser.Hortic [online]. 2011, vol.17, n.1, pp.51-60. ISSN 2007-4034.

The objectives of this work were to characterize strawberry growers in Zamora, Michoacán, Mexico, and to identify factors limiting production with the methodology of innovation networks. The state of Michoacán is the largest strawberry producer in Mexico, but production is extensive and disorganized. The productive system network of strawberry has a large number of nodes, but dispersion is high. This fact is reflected in the scarce number of links (265), a low density and an elevated standard deviation (12.47 %). The centralization index is 18.36 %, in part because decision-making and access to system information in the web are concentrated in only two actors; one of them is a final buyer and the other is a local lender. The strawberry agribusinessmen from Michoacán interviewed had a mean yield of 24.44 t·ha^-1. Their per hectare income was $ 9,208 USCy, but with a cost of production of $11,867 USCy and an index of innovation adoption of 55.56 %. The adoption of organizational innovations is limited. All these factors originate low macro competitiveness. It is necessary to enhance innovation to increase the competitiveness.

Palabras llave : Strawberry productivity; profitability; index of centralization; innovation adoption.

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