Economy and Agriculture
The wide climatic variation within the department resulting from differences in altitude gives rise to a diverse range of agricultural products. These include apples, beetroot, cabbages, carrots, high quality coffee, common beans, maize, onions, peaches, plums, potatoes, radishes, turnips and wheat. Almolonga is the main producer of vegetables, both for the national market and for export, principally to Mexico and countries in Central America. Salcajá is known for its production of a fruit liquor called caldo de frutas ("fruit wine"). Other products of the department include woolen textiles, cotton, silk, ceramics, alcoholic beverages and flour.
Poorer high altitude areas of the department experience seasonal migration of workers to the Pacific lowlands in order to work on coffee, sugarcane and cotton plantations.
| Municipality | Principal agricultural products | Non-agricultural products |
|---|---|---|
| Almolonga | Vegetables, maize, common bean, pigs, sheep, cattle | Textiles |
| Cabricán | Vegetables, maize, common bean, broad bean, apples, wheat | Limestone |
| Cajolá | Maize, common bean, broad bean, wheat, pigs | Textiles, bricks, pipes, pots, basins, shoes, ironwork, carpentry. |
| Cantel | Maize, cabbage, onions, vegetables | Textiles |
| Coatepeque | Horses, cattle, coffee, maize, rice, sugarcane, cotton | Minimal non-agricultural production |
| Colomba | Coffee, cardamom, macadamia nuts, bananas, cattle | Sandals |
| Concepción Chiquirichapa | ||
| El Palmar | ||
| Flores Costa Cuca | ||
| Génova | ||
| Huitán | ||
| La Esperanza | ||
| Olintepeque | ||
| Palestina de Los Altos | ||
| Quetzaltenango | ||
| Salcajá | ||
| San Carlos Sija | ||
| San Francisco La Unión | ||
| San Juan Ostuncalco | ||
| San Martín Sacatepéquez | Maize, potatoes, vegetables | Textiles, bricks, bread |
| San Mateo | Potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, cattle | Bricks, textiles, kitchen griddles |
| San Miguel Sigüilá | Maize, oats, wheat, potatoes, broad beans, peaches | Textiles, bricks, tiles |
| Sibilia | Maize, potatoes, wheat, oats, barley, pigs | Bricks, carpentry, metalwork, bread |
| Zunil | Vegetables, poultry, cattle, pigs | Textiles, bread, metalwork |
Read more about this topic: Quetzaltenango Department
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