Mexican pork heading to Asia
Ample availability of animal feed in Mexico, especially grain at lower prices combined with new breeding lines, have contributed to higher slaughter weights allowing production of more meat from fewer hogs.
In line with increased production, the country is looking to fully develop its export markets in Asia where steady growth has already been established. To date, China has approved five Mexican establishments as eligible to export pork. Many of these, however, are long – established producers that focus on the domestic market.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently revised its forecast for 2015 upward to 150,000 metric tonnes (MT) carcass weight equivalent (CWE) as overall demand from Asian countries is predicted to remain stable for the remainder of the year.
Pork exports are forecast to continue to grow and reach 195,000 MT in 2016. Japan remains Mexico’s number one export market by volume and value, a situation which is not expected to change in the near future (see figure). South Korea and the US trail behind in second and third place. Meanwhile, the US remains Mexico’s number one pork import market with a nearly 90% share on pork products.
Join 18,000+ subscribers
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated about all the need-to-know content in the pigsector, three times a week.
