Mexico: Agriculture Minister Confident of Resumption of Livestock Exports to the US

The federal official also announced the inclusion of Chihuahua and Tamaulipas in the second phase of the Integrated MEAT Production Program and said that, starting in 2026, he would launch a series of presidential programs to strengthen self-sufficiency in white corn, beans, MILK, rice and meat.

At the opening of the 22nd Global Agri-Food Forum "The Future of Food", organized by the National Agricultural Council (CNA) in Chihuahua, Julio Berdegué Sacristan expressed confidence that exports to the United States will soon resume because "Mexican livestock production is safe."

He stated that Chihuahua, Sonora, Coahuila, Durango and Tamaulipas are key cattle-producing states and that positive results have been achieved in efforts to contain and eradicate beef cattle flies in the southeastern region of the country.

Berdegué Sacristan said the campaign against GBG was successful thanks to the joint efforts of Mexico's National Service for HEALTH, Safety and Quality of Agricultural Products (Senasica) and the US government's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), as well as state governments, the private sector, livestock associations and producers.

He emphasized that the disease has been contained in the southeastern states over the past 10 months, with 0.005% of the cattle herd affected during this time; 371 new cases of GBH were detected in the past week.

"There are no technical or scientific reasons to justify closing the border to Mexican exports," Julio Berdegué reiterated.

He emphasized that the Integrated Meat Production Program aims to respond to unilateral measures taken by the United States government, always in cooperation with the production sector, in order to open up new opportunities for commercial diversification of livestock production in these states.

In addition, Berdegu Sacristan announced that, starting in 2026, a series of presidential programs will be launched to strengthen self-sufficiency in white corn (target: 25 million tons), beans (restore stable production of 1.1 million tons), milk (reach 15 billion liters), rice (doubling production), and to strengthen the Campeche Plan.

Jorge Esteve Recolons, President of the National Agricultural Council (CNA), agreed that ensuring food security and sovereignty requires the participation of all three levels of government: the private sector, academia, and producers. "If we want to build more and grow better, we must ensure investment , cooperation, and sound regulation" to guarantee a better future and prosperity for the sector and rural communities.