López Obrador, Vilsack Meet to Discuss Food Security

President López Obrador held a meeting with US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in preparation for the North American Leaders' Summit. Meanwhile, INIFAP and the National Wheat Product System Committee, signed an agreement to increase Mexico’s wheat production.

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López Obrador, Vilsack Meet Before North American Leaders' Summit

On Nov. 28, 2022, President López Obrador held a meeting with US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in Mexico City. The meeting was held in preparation for the North American Leaders' Summit, which will take place in Mexico in January 2023. During the meeting, both parties agreed to tackle several issues related to food security. According to Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, the conversation was held cordially despite the tensions between Mexico and the US due to López Obrador’s eyed ban on GMO yellow corn for 2024. Vilsack pointed out that, if necessary, the US government would be forced to consider all options, including taking formal steps to enforce their legal rights under USMCA.

INIFAP Signs Agreement to Support Wheat Production

During World Food Day, Luis Rodríguez, Director General, National Institute of Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research (INIFAP), and Jesús Hernández, President, National Wheat Product System Committee, signed an agreement to increase Mexico’s wheat production. The agreement will link wheat producers with research institutions that will provide training to encourage the adoption of new wheat varieties and increase the supply of kernels to meet demand. In 2021, wheat production reached 3,283,000 tons, with gains of MX$17 billion (US$860.51 million), of which 150,000 tons corresponds to bread wheat and 1,782,000 tons to crystal wheat malt mostly used for baking and production of macaroni and short pasta.

Variable-Rate Fertilizer Use May Reduce Agriculture Costs: FIRA

For the past three years, global factors like the pandemic and the Ukraine war have influenced the cost of agricultural inputs, mainly fertilizers. As a result, the price of grain has increased. Fertilizers are a key element in this price increase, so using variable-rate fertilizer techniques could significantly cut production costs, said Jesús Moya, Regional Deputy Director, Established Trust in Relation to Agriculture (FIRA), and Epifaneo Licona, Specialist, FIRA, producers must deal with the issue by incorporating new practices and technologies to make more efficient use of their resources. One of those practices consists of a variable-rate fertilizer application. This technique allows for a more efficient use of fertilizers and increases crop yields. In addition, intelligently used fertilizers reduce the risk of soil and water pollution.

Aquaculture Industry Shows Outstanding Growth Rate

In November 2022, government representatives, leaders from the fishing industry, entrepreneurs and academics gathered together at the Mar de Cortez Forum in Baja California Sur, to discuss the state of aquaculture activities in Mexico. According to Miguel Cisneros, Researcher, National Institute of Fishery and Aquaculture (INAPESCA), the aquaculture industry shows the highest growth among all primary sectors for the past 10 years. Currently, Mexico is the 13th largest sustainable fisheries and aquaculture producer worldwide. In 2021, the sector reached production of 2 million tons, an increase of 1.6 percent compared with the previous year. The production value in 2021 stood at MX$47.239 billion (US$2.362 billion).