Adriana Barrera and Cassandra Garrison reported on how Mexico's election will effect the country's yellow corn import plans for Reuters. Mexico's incoming administration under President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum will not pursue the outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s goal of achieving self-sufficiency in yellow corn production. Instead, the focus will be on maintaining self-sufficiency in white corn, which is essential for tortilla production.
Incoming agriculture minister Julio Berdegue stated that Mexico will continue to rely on yellow corn imports, primarily from the United States, to meet livestock sector demands. Lopez Obrador’s administration aimed to reduce GM corn imports, sparking a trade dispute with the U.S. However, this objective was not met, with Mexico still importing about $6 billion worth of yellow corn annually.
Additionally, Sheinbaum aims to cut deforestation linked to agriculture by half within six years, addressing the annual loss of 200,000 hectares due to land clearing for avocados and livestock.
A USMCA trade panel ruling on the GM corn dispute is expected by the end of the year, with the U.S. claiming Mexico's limits violate trade agreements. Sheinbaum will take office in October, focusing on increasing agricultural production and addressing environmental concerns.
