The Mexican meat sector reports price increases of 35% on average, although some products have been fired up to 300%an inflationary situation that the industry will continue to suffer for the rest of the year and in which it is possible that consumption will decrease due to the lower purchasing power of the population, said Ernesto Hermosillo, president of the Mexican Meat Council (Comecarne).
The temporary elimination of tariffs implemented by the federal government to combat inflation will only help the sector to have an additional source of supply of meat products with zero tariffs and compensate, in the case of chicken, for the shortage coming from the United States without tariffs, however , faces the problem of avian influenza and has caused cost increases, he explained.
When presenting the Statistical Compendium of the meat sector in Mexico 2021, Hermosillo highlighted that Mexico advanced to the fifth position as consumer per capita of meat in the world, with 73.2 kilograms. “During 2021, 9.5 million tons of meat were consumed in Mexico, representing growth of 5.4% compared to 2020,” he said.
The Mexican population consumes a higher percentage of chicken (48% of total consumption); followed by pork at 28% and beef at 21%.
In a virtual press conference, the president of Comecarne explained that chicken has been one of the products with the most impact on cost and supply, derived from the lower availability in the market by the influenza disease that chickens face in the United States, the increase in grain prices and Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“This year prices are going to continue to rise, I don’t think we have seen the end. We are still going to be suffering a little this year and there is concern that per capita consumption will decrease, we have a great challenge in maintaining it,” said the leader.
