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Farm Groups Warn Mexico Will Become Net Grain Importer in 2026

Leaders cite a decade‑low farm budget, climate damage, inadequate credit and weak policy support as forces that undermine output and jeopardize payment for stored harvests.

Overview

  • Amadeo Hernández Barajas of the Central Campesina Independiente predicts Mexico will consolidate as a net importer of maize, wheat and sorghum in 2026.
  • He warns producers may lack assurance of payment for maize, wheat and sorghum already in storage due to reported shortfalls in government resources.
  • The agricultural ministry’s 2026 allocation is cited at 75,836.5 million pesos, described as the lowest in a decade and a constraint on productivity and import substitution.
  • Official 2024 data show declines in white maize (down 12% to 21.49 million tonnes), rice (down 20% to 220,000 tonnes) and sorghum (down 6% to 4.5 million tonnes), with drought hitting Sinaloa and imports sourced largely from the United States.
  • Coverage notes expected import growth in the 2025–2026 cycle, T-MEC review effects on costs and rules of origin, and a USDA projection that maize imports could reach 25 million tonnes, roughly matching domestic output.