After two decades without updated data, the National University of La Plata (UNLP) and the Municipality of La Plata carried out the Survey of the Floricultural Belt of La Plata 2025.
With monitoring from the Buenos Aires government, the study covered 71,805 hectares and 3,302 blocks. It offered a new overview of the green belt of La Plata, crucial for vegetable and flower production in Argentina.
Details of the Floricultural Belt of La Plata and crops under cover
The initial results confirmed the existence of 2,826 agricultural exploitations, of which 2,285 are linked to floriculture, horticulture, fruit growing, and nurseries. The total area reaches 4,922 hectares. Of these, 4,005 specifically correspond to horticultural, fruit, and nursery crops.
Cultivated crops. (Photo: archive – Unsplash).
One of the most relevant data points is the strong presence of production under cover, with 1,720 hectares in greenhouses, compared to 2,285 cultivated in the open.
With these figures, La Plata consolidates itself as the main region in the country for intensive production under greenhouse, a modality that allows for maintaining supply throughout the year.
The survey also assessed the workforce of the sector. It specified that 6,225 people currently work in the floricultural belt of La Plata. Among them, 3,717 are producers, 715 are sharecroppers (workers who share decisions and profits with the producer), and the rest are salaried workers with at least six months of employment in the last year.
Most common crops in the region
The compiled information details what is cultivated and on what scale. The main products are:
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Chard and tomato, leading the list.
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Lettuce, green onion, spinach, and fresh bell pepper.
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On a smaller scale: broccoli, arugula, and butterhead lettuce, also of great commercial importance.
The marketing is concentrated in the Buenos Aires Central Market and the Regional Market of La Plata, as well as in nearby greengrocers and direct sales to individual customers.
Importance of the 2025 survey
Tomato and chard, among the main crops. Photo: Pixabay.
The field operation, carried out between June 15 and August 10, was coordinated by the Sectorial and Territorial Development Laboratory (LabData) of the UNLP, with support from the Provincial Directorate of Statistics. It involved 18 professionals specialized in surveys, information technology, and geostatistics.
According to Agustín Lódola, LabData’s director, the main achievement of the survey is to understand the magnitude of production in the green belt of La Plata. “Knowing how many producers, how many workers, and how much area is cultivated is the first step to design public policies that strengthen the sector,” he said in an interview with Página 12.
A tool for productive development
Beyond the numbers, the survey will serve as the basis to formalize the activity, strengthen producers, and improve sector planning. Among the strategic axes are:
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The participation of women in productive processes.
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The traceability of cultivated varieties.
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Coordination with broader policies, such as the Hydric Management Plan, the Rural Roads Program, and the incorporation of a fixed point of Buenos Aires Markets in the Regional Market.
“La Plata has a competitive advantage: it is close to the main consumption center of the country and has the capacity to add value and diversify production,” highlighted Lódola.
The Floricultural Survey of La Plata 2025 offers concrete data that will help strengthen local employment, guarantee food security, and boost the regional economy.
