Mexico to export meat to Asia-Pacific countries

Mexican cattle breeder

s plan to take advantage of the Trans-Pacific Progressive Integration Treaty (TIPAT) and increase meat exports to 300,000 tons by 2019.

The president of the A ssociation of Bovine Cattle Farmers (Ameg) , Juan José Córdoba Herrero , said that although the sector seeks to grow 2.0% in Mexico , as it has been the case in the last three years, the most important thing is to increase sales to the markets abroad.

In 2018 , some 235,500 tons of meat were exported , which means exports grew 12% , and this year they could increase up to 15%, he said.

He said that exports could grow even further by reaching several of the countries that are part of the TIPAT and export 300,000 tons this year.

"We believe that we can easily reach four countries (that are part of the) agreement with 50,000 tons (of meat), such as Singapore, Japan, Vietnam, and Malaysia ," he said.

"If we want to produce more, we have to look for more external markets . We have to continue the c ommercial relationship with the countries and re-establish it with others that, for some reason, we had lost," he said.

He said the goal is to further reduce dependence on the United States , where exports have gone from 88% to 75% in the last three years and also from the commercial relationship with J apan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Canada, and other nations.

This has placed Mexico as the tenth exporter and importer of meat in the world, the eighth country with the largest herd of cattle , the s eventh biggest producer , and the sixth largest consumer, he said.

Córdoba Herrero

anticipated that Mexican meat could arrive in China this year because the proper phytosanitary protocols are ready, although the Chinese inspectors need to visit Mexico to certify the plants.

The industry is also in negotiations with Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, Iran, Israel, Taiwan, and Turkey , among other countries. It also seeks reopening businesses with Russia , after the relationship ended in 2012, "but we see more to come in the long term," he said.

Mexico

produced one 1,980,205 tons of beef in 2018, of which 88% remained in the domestic market and the rest was sold abroad and maintains a positive trade balance because it exported about 235,500 tons and it imported over 195,000 tons.

For the Ameg president, the main challenge is to preserve the Federal Inspection Type System (TIF) that minimizes the risk of diseases in meat products and byproducts , since it has been key to reach international markets.

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