Mexico is the U.S. pork industry’s $2-billion customer, but a recent isolated pseudorabies confirmation has put a portion of that trade on temporary hold, specifically high-value variety meats.
While the border remains open for U.S. pork muscle cuts, which make up most of the export volume to Mexico, pork byproducts (skins) and offal/viscera have been unable to clear due to Mexico’s precautionary restrictions.
“As a producer, I understand the science behind why we don’t need to be concerned about this incident,” says Katie Brown, an Illinois pig farmer and president of the Illinois Pork Producers Association. Brown recently returned from the U.S. Red Meat Symposium in Mexico along with Andy Tauer, National Pork Board vice president of international market development.
The relationship between the U.S. pork industry and the Mexican consumer is strong, Tauer points out.
“They have confidence in U.S. Pork,” he says. “That’s demonstrated every time we go down to Mexico. They value its versatility, consistency and flavor. Yes, we are having a small challenge right now in getting our variety meats across the Mexican border, but that’s where we lean on relationships with the National Pork Producers Council to help us navigate through this.”
He believes the industry will work through this in “relatively short order” thanks to rigorous traceback and surveillance, in addition to interagency cooperation.
“Pseudorabies is not a human health risk,” Tauer emphasizes. “The U.S. pork supply is safe. With NPPC and USMEF having those important conversations, I think we will see the value of their strong relationship with the pork industry and red meat trade.”
Why Variety Meats Matter: The Whole Hog Value
The current restriction on variety meats is significant because these products that are often undervalued in the U.S., are high-demand delicacies in Mexico that drive the overall value of every pig raised in the U.S. by an additional $2.53 per pig.
“Mexico is a market where the whole hog has value,” Tauer says. “Our partnership with U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) allows us to really dig deep into the marketplace to connect various retailers and consumers with the individual parts and pieces of the pork carcass that they’re really interested in.”
During a visit to Mexican wet markets, Brown saw firsthand the demand for all parts of the pig. As a producer, she admits that this gives her an even greater sense of fulfillment knowing that the entire pig is being utilized to feed people. It also adds more value to the work she does day in and day out as a producer.
“I remember walking by a box of uteruses and thinking, “Wow. I don’t think those would sell well at our grocery stores,’” she says. “But, that’s one of the things they’ve requested – to send more uteruses and brains as often as we can.”
Of course, Brown’s inquisitive mind didn’t let it stop at that. She began asking them how they use those products and learned more than she expected.
“Understanding how they cook and use these products in their daily life was definitely eye-opening,” Brown says. “I may not start feeding my family uteruses and brains, but if I can send those products off to a market like Mexico, where it adds value to their life, why not? It’s a win- win situation for both of us.”
A Market with Upside Opportunity
Mexico serves as the leading export market for U.S. pork, with hams leading the pack. Despite how strong the market is now in Mexico, the long-term outlook is even stronger. Per capita pork consumption continues expanding in Mexico, growing an estimated 40% between 2010 and 2024.
“I’m a very numbers-based person,” Brown says. “One of the most impactful moments for me was when they started sharing statistics around pork consumption in Mexico. They love pork, but only about 12% is consumed in the household. That is mind-blowing to me.”
She is excited about how the U.S. pork industry is focused on shifting consumer habits from this 88% out-of-home consumption to more at-home meals.
“There’s so much opportunity to help expand that,” Brown says. “The majority of the time, they consume pork at a celebration, at restaurants or at food vendors over a lunch break. So, what can we do to help them bring more pork home to cook? Is it about making smaller packaging for a couple of people? Do we need to make it more convenient and an easier eating experience?”
Tauer highlighted how USMEF is using QR codes on packaging to provide recipes. The click-throughs on those recipes have been tremendous and are teaching other ways to prepare dishes using pork as an ingredient, which is very popular in Mexico.
“It was exciting to see the volume of Weber grills and Big Green Eggs as we went through a couple of different retail stores,” Tauer says. “American-style barbecue is really starting to catch on there as well. As income continues to increase for the middle class in Mexico, they will continue to have more opportunity to eat pork more on a daily basis. Education around ways to do that is critical.”
In an export market that is already “so good,” the opportunity for growth is huge, Brown adds.
From Barn to Border
Mexico has been “a shining star” in terms of overall demand for the pork product U.S. pig farmers raise on a daily basis, Tauer says.
“Although we talk a lot about selling more pork, trips like these are really about building long-term demand in Mexico,” he says. “It’s about protecting that market share and bringing that value back home to our U.S. producers. This ultimately drives rural communities across this country and helps the next generation stay on the farm. It’s all connected.”
For Brown, traveling to Mexico provided a bridge between her daily work in Illinois and the global reach of her product. Seeing familiar brands in a foreign context reinforced the scale of the industry.
“To understand the impact we have as farmers, not just in our neighborhood and in our nation, but in other countries, was powerful,” she says. “We need to think on a more global perspective, rather than only about what’s happening on our farms.”
