Mexican pork breeders have demanded the Ministry of Commerce to approve the labelling of porcine products and by-products from the United States and other countries.
The aim is to give food quality guarantees to consumers, since fresh Mexican products compete in the high-quality domestic market with frozen food from abroad.
The Confederation of Mexican Pork Producers (CPM) said that it is not seeking a ban on imports of pork, as long as these do not undermine the Mexican pork production.
Risen imports
Alejandro Gonzalez Ramirez, director of Economic Studies of the CPM, explained that imports have risen between 18 and 20%; in 2007 these amounted to 326,000 tonnes and from January to May this year they were as high as 139,000 tonnes, i.e. 31,000 tonnes more than the same period last year.
He added that the support of 100 pesos per invoiced pig, announced in January and formalised in April this year, as part of the aid programme for the pork production, has not reached the producers, due to bureaucracy in the Ministry of Agriculture. There is a delay of 4.5 to implement these programme issues, he said.
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