Today [Thursday July 27], the second binational meeting of Mexican-US Secretaries of Agriculture is taking place in Mérida. Actions to strengthen agri-food trade between these two countries in a context of fair, open exchange and with clear rules are being discussed.
José Calzada Rovirosa (Mexico) and Sonny Perdue (United States), as well as officials from the SAGARPA (Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), will participate in this bilateral meeting in which they plan to show the benefits that agri-food trade has for the productive sectors of both nations.
While in Merida, Sonny Perdue and Calzada Rovirosa will also participate in a panel discussion where Mexican producers and US entrepreneurs will be present. In addition, the secretaries of the two nations will carry out several tours of Mexican agricultural, livestock and fishing companies in Yucatan, in which Sonny Perdue will be able to verify the potential and quality that Mexico has in all branches of food production.
MX-US seek to improve agri-food trade between both countries
Photo: Google
During the first 5 months of this 2017 [January-May], the total value of Mexican agri-food exportation to the United States amounted to almost $12,5 billion dollars, which represents an increase of 4% compared to the same period of 2016.
The main exported products were beer, avocado and tomato, which recorded an exportation worth of $404 million (USD), $990 million (USD) and $850 million (USD), respectively. Additionally, the rest of the top 10 exported Mexican agri-food products to the USA are berries, pepper, tequila, strawberries, beef cattle, asparagus, and cane sugars; those exportations represent around 50% of the country’s profit.
Likewise, it is worth-mentioning that the first meeting between the two officials took place last June in Savannah, Georgia, where they agreed that the relationship between México and the United States goes beyond commercial interests, having as a common goal to do better for both nations.
SOURCES:
1. News release from U.S. Dept. of Agriculture distributed by U.S. Embassy Mexico City
2. Mexico’s Government official page
