{"id":50027819,"date":"2019-06-12T15:20:19","date_gmt":"2019-06-12T14:20:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stage.dialogochino.net\/?p=27819"},"modified":"2023-03-12T17:31:58","modified_gmt":"2023-03-12T17:31:58","slug":"27819-mexico-exports-sorghum-to-china-amid-national-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/food\/27819-mexico-exports-sorghum-to-china-amid-national-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Mexico exports sorghum to China amid national crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"

China, the world\u2019s top importer of sorghum, has initiated the process of importing tonnes of the grain from Mexico, just as weather conditions in the Latin American country throw production into crisis.<\/p>\n

Along with corn and wheat, sorghum is an essential food in many parts of the developing world and is used both for human consumption and to feed livestock, driving growth in international demand.<\/p>\n

“China demands many grains to feed such a large population, but Mexico is, in turn, the world\u2019s fifth largest importer [of sorghum], just behind China, Spain, Japan and Sudan,” said C\u00e9sar Soto Morales, professor of international relations at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).<\/p>\n

Soto said that opening up an export market with such large domestic demand \u2013 more than 8 million tonnes<\/a> per year \u2013 is out of step with national priorities.<\/p>\n

There is no regulation to ensure that Mexico has a sufficient supply of sorghum<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In China, around a third of sorghum is used to manufacture alcoholic beverages, mainly a traditional strong liquor. The rest is divided between livestock and human consumption.<\/p>\n

China imports 90% of the grain from the US, the world\u2019s largest producer, but because of protectionist measures<\/a> implemented by President Donald Trump, it is looking for new suppliers.<\/p>\n

Sorghum deficit<\/h2>\n

Sorghum is grown in many parts of Mexico, but the largest producers are the states of Tamaulipas, Sinaloa and Guanajuato. Last year, yields were the worst in 20 years because of poor weather conditions<\/a>. Mexico produced just 4.4 million tonnes in 2018 compared to 10 million the previous year.<\/p>\n

\n

5,600,000<\/p>\n

\n
\nthe drop in tonnes in Mexico's national sorghum production between 2017 and 2018
\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

However, this will not stop more than 1,500 Mexican producers seeking to export between 50,000 and 100,000 thousand tonnes to China as soon as export protocols are approved.<\/p>\n

“There is no regulation to ensure that Mexico has a sufficient supply of sorghum, neither the previous or current governments worry about maintaining the supply of grain, corn or sorghum,\u201d Soto said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis leaves the market to act freely,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Without national regulations, sorghum producers turn to international markets, despite Mexico\u2019s need for the grain and increasing shortages.<\/p>\n

According to Soto, Mexico should follow the example of other countries that safeguard supplies of basic grains that are consumed. This means taking measures such as tariffs or export quotas to maintain national supplies, he said.<\/p>\n

Export protocol<\/h2>\n

Mexico currently only exports sorghum to China for livestock consumption. In order to sell the grain directly to China for human consumption requires, authorities in the two countries must sign sanitary protocols. This has not yet happened.<\/p>\n

“In order for a product to be viable for export, China carries out many visits, with health experts analysing the fields,” explained Laura Selene Frias Rodr\u00edguez, a former official at Mexico\u2019s export promotion agency ProM\u00e9xico.<\/p>\n

While Chinese safety experts have already analysed the fields, processes can sometimes take five to ten years. Phytosanitary protocols are very strict for imported fresh products in order to protect Chinese national production.<\/p>\n

The Chinese government has the last word.<\/p>\n

\n

8<\/p>\n

\n
\nthe number of years it took Mexico to get phytosanitary permits to export some food products to China
\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

“Because of President Xi<\/a>, impressive progress has been made in commercial matters, as in the case of tequila, berries, avocado<\/a> and pork,\u201d Fr\u00edas Rodr\u00edguez said, adding that acquiring some phytosanitary permits took 8 years. Tequila<\/a>, however, took less than three years as there was political will to advance the process, she said.<\/p>\n

“We mustn’t fall asleep, because with China if you fall asleep another country or market comes along and will eat it up,\u201d said Fr\u00edas Rodr\u00edguez, who added that for China, sorghum is an opportunity to expand relations with Mexico.<\/p>\n

Beyond primary products<\/h2>\n

In recent years, the Chinese market has opened up to Mexican products such as pork, fishmeal, cotton, avocado, molluscs, lobsters and shrimp, as well as bovine skins, and other commodities.<\/p>\n

Fr\u00edas Rodr\u00edguez said the growing trade relationship is a very good opportunity to advance discussions about the regulations that will affect value-added Mexican products.<\/p>\n

“We have to look beyond the export of commodities, such as sorghum\u2026 but to products of high added value. Not only export avocado, for example, but avocado oil,” she said, pointing out that this would generate higher incomes for Mexican producers.<\/p>\n

Over 80% of Mexico\u2019s exports go to the US but diversifying its trade partners is a necessity as President Trump has threatened<\/a> tariffs on Mexican products if the country does not stop the northward flow of migrants.<\/p>\n

Given China\u2019s commercial clout, however, Mexico must negotiate intelligently, Fr\u00edas Rodr\u00edguez said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

China, the world\u2019s top importer of sorghum, has initiated the process of importing tonnes of the grain from Mexico, just as weather conditions in the Latin American country throw production into crisis. Along with corn and wheat, sorghum is an essential food in many parts of the developing world and is used both for human […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50000004,"featured_media":50027825,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[763],"tags":[50040317,546,600],"hashtags":[],"country":[20000110,50002597],"class_list":["post-50027819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food","tag-farming","tag-food-security","tag-trade","country-china","country-mexico"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMexico exports sorghum to China amid national crisis | Dialogue Earth<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mexican producers seek to sell the grain used in animal feed and alcoholic drinks to China as climate change devastates yields\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, 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