Meat Consumption Rose 3.1% in 2022
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Meat Consumption Rose 3.1% in 2022

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Eliza Galeana By Eliza Galeana | Junior Journalist & Industry Analyst - Fri, 05/12/2023 - 19:01

During the presentation of the Mexican Meat Concil’s (CoMeCarne) Statistical Compendium 2023, Ernesto Hermosillo, President, reported that in 2022, Mexicans ate 9.8 million t of meat, which reflected an uptick in this product’s consumption despite inflation. 

“In 2022, Mexico, like most countries in the world, was affected by the instability generated by the Russian-Ukrainian war, which was reflected in the escalation of prices in energy, raw materials and basic inputs for the meat sector,” Hermosillo said. However, Mexico presented conditions that allowed an annual increase of 3.1% in fresh meat consumption and 2.2% in cold meats. Additionally, the sector reached an overall growth of 2.6% compared to 2021, with a total production of 7.8 million t of meat. 

Hermosillo explained that this positive outcome has to do with the effects of the pandemic, since people were forced to change their habits and eat more at home. “This year will be complicated, because of the inflation in food products. Money will have to be distributed differently,” he said.  

Mexico’s domestic production covered 73.6% of national meat demand, while the remaining 26.4% was purchased from other nations. Mexico is currently the third largest meat importer in the world. In 2022, the country purchased 2.35 million t of meat, which represented an increase of 4.9% over the previous year. 

Hermosillo underscored the importance of increasing the sector’s budget to strengthen and boost national supply, which translates into supporting small livestock holders and financing for domestic suppliers. Additionally, he stressed the need for guarantees to grant credits, the promotion and training of specialists to face health challenges and innovation, as well as technology development and public policies with a sustainable approach. 

In 2022, the meat industry consolidated as one of the pillars of the Mexican agri-food sector due to its positive numbers. It accounted for 2% of Mexico’s GDP and generated 82,474 jobs of which 39,145 correspond to cold meat processing units, 30,508 to slaughterhouses and another 12,821 to cutting and packing activities. Hermosillo said that moving forward, the industry wants to expand its presence in foreign markets. Furthermore, the council is working on a document that reflects its vision for the next 10 years, which will be presented to the next presidential candidates.

Photo by:   Envato Elements

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