Beer leads Mexico’s agricultural exports in first 5 months of the year

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – With US$2.215 billion in the first five months of 2021, beer ranked first in Mexico’s agricultural and agro-industrial exports, the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader) reported this Friday.

The figure represented a growth of 30.3% over the same period in 2020 when it totaled US$1.701 million.

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In a statement, the Ministry of Agriculture recalled that in 2020 foreign sales of this beverage totaled US$4.685 billion, according to figures from the Bank of Mexico.

The main importers of Mexican beer are the United States, Australia, Canada, Chile, Guatemala, and the United Kingdom.

In addition, the agency said that Mexico ranks 31st in the world scale of countries producing barley used for brewing beer, equivalent to 0.6% of global production.

The report stated that the state of Guanajuato ranked as the main barley grain producing state in 2020, with 32.5% of the national total, followed by Hidalgo, with 25.5%, and Puebla, with 12.4%, all three in the center of the country.

The Sader recalled that it is from October to December when more than half of the annual production of this cereal is achieved, while its share in national cereal production is 2.7%.

He also pointed out that the national brewing activity impacts an entire chain of workers, from farmers, transporters to points of sale, restaurants, and recreation and leisure centers.

According to the United Nations International Trade Center, Mexico is the world’s leading exporter of beer, with 26.9% of the world market, followed by the Netherlands (13.3%) and Belgium (12.7%).

The shutdown of the non-essential economy during April and May 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic caused the paralysis of the Modelo and Heineken plants, the main brewers in Mexico.

As a result, the Mexican brewing industry experienced a 6.2% drop in exports and a 4.7% drop in production in 2020.