Agriculture Driver of Economic Recovery: Víctor Villalobos

This week, we spoke to Juan Carlos Peralejo-Serrano, Vice President of Chocolate and Confectionary at Nestlé Mexico, about the challenges for the food giant amid a health pandemic and a product labeling reform. His vision for Mexico’s future as a cocoa producer was bright, despite significant hurdles that need to be overcome.

We also analyzed the impact of the elimination of the Undersecretariat of Agriculture and the departure of its leader, Deputy Minister Miguel García Winder, which took place seven weeks ago. So far, the government seems to be holding on to the programs that were run by this body. However, it may be his strong ideological commitment to a more sustainable and self-sufficient rural landscape that is now lacking. Time is still to tell.

Interested in more? Here are the weeks major headlines in agribusiness & food!

• Minister Víctor Villalobos stated in an interview this week that he expects the country to reach a self-sufficiency co-efficient of 67.4 percent by the end of President Lopez Obrador’s term. This, he stated, would mean the domestic production of basic crops (like maize and beans) in Mexico, would cover the full national demand. In response to his promises, several critics questioned where he was getting his statistics, accusing the minister of creating unrealistic expectations.

• At the inauguration of the virtual Foro Global Agroalimentario (Global Agrifood Forum) on Wednesday, Minister Villalobos stated that the agricultural sector would be the driving engine of Mexico’s economic recovery. He also recognized and thanked the producers that had helped to keep up food supply amid the pandemic.

• As the Mexican government makes significant advances toward cannabis legalization, the country may turn into the world’s largest producer of legal cannabis products. Pablo Ricaud Arriola, Co-Founder & Executive Chairman of Rising Farms, writes on MBN about the opportunities that are arising in the industry and who is set to benefit from them.

• McDonald’s Mexico revenues fell by a whopping 62 percent as a result of the pandemic. Still, Francisco Bosch, General Manager of McDonald’s Mexico, was optimistic about the company’s recovery and the new opportunities it can capture in a new normality.

• In a press statement this week, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) stated it was working with representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to develop an information bank on meteorological events, which will help producers to better plan production. It also mentioned the possibility of a certification scheme for storage silos for grains. The primary target are said to be medium and small producers of corn in the center and south of the country. Two weeks ago, producers in Tabasco state were affected heavily by flash floods.

• Representatives from the Ministry of Economy, the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) and the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT) met this Thursday to determine forceful actions for the protection of tequila’s denomination of origin. IMPI and CRT have agreed to intensify collaboration to protect the spirit around the world. The name tequila is recognized as a denomination of origin in 55 countries, including the EU.