When the final shipments are tallied, 2021 will be a record year for pork exports to Mexico, besting the previous high of $1.5 billion in 2017. U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) representative Gerardo Rodriguez detailed the factors driving this record performance in the USMEF Report on Monday.
Through November, according to USDA data compiled by USMEF, exports to Mexico totaled nearly 795,000 metric tons, up 29% from a year ago and gaining fast on the previous annual volume record of 802,000 metric tons. Export value through November surged 51% to $1.54 billion – already exceeding the 2017 record.
The last 18 months have been challenging, but Rodriguez said it has opened a number of business opportunities for expanding pork in food service. During the USMEF Report, Rodriguez said promotions with big box retailers not only reached end consumers in Mexico, but also restaurant operators who purchased meat through these stores.
USMEF has also collaborated with processors in Mexico to develop convenient and affordable pork products that appeal to Mexican consumers who are ready to treat themselves to higher quality meals after two years of pandemic lockdown.
“We can see this in the sales on the retail sector,” Rodriguez explained. “They say, ‘I deserve better. I have been in this lockdown for so long, that when I go and do my groceries and I buy my meat, I deserve better quality. I receive a better option for me and my family.’”
Not only are consumers in Mexico trying new dishes, but they are also learning new ways to prepare pork with popular kitchen appliances such as air fryers and instant pots, he adds.
Last June, Rodriguez shed insight into how convenience store snacks and TikTok helped heat up pork sales to Mexico. Read more here.
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
How Convenience Store Snacks and TikTok are Heating Up U.S. Pork Sales to Mexico
