This editorial by the La Jornada editorial board originally appeared in the November 25, 2025 edition of La Jornada. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of Mexico Solidarity Media*, or the Mexico Solidarity Project.*
In the first 10 months of the year, Mexico imported 40.7 million tons of grains and oilseeds, an unprecedented figure since records began in 1993. This represents a 3.5 percent increase compared to the previous record of 39.33 million tons, reported during the same period in 2014. More than half of that volume corresponds to corn, of which 21.2 million tons were imported, almost entirely of the yellow variety, used primarily for animal feed in Mexico. As this newspaper reported, imports of white corn quadrupled between January and September of this year compared to the same period last year. Although in much smaller quantities (800,000 tons), sorghum imports registered a worrying increase of 2,700 percent.
When asked about this situation, the Secretary of Agriculture, Julio Berdegué, attributed it to the exponential increase in the consumption of animal protein, which in turn stems from the fact that 13.5 million people have risen out of poverty in recent years thanks to social welfare policies. The official mentioned another key fact: the grains used to feed chickens, pigs, and cows could be produced in Mexico, “we would just need 2 million hectares that are currently being used for other purposes.” Indeed, the boom in crops geared toward the export market (especially the fruits generically called berries, avocados, and agave plants used for tequila and mezcal) has increasingly encroached on agricultural land previously used for the much less profitable staple grains.
In this already complicated context, Donald Trump’s trade war prevented American farmers from selling their produce in their largest market, China, generating an oversupply that, in turn, caused international grain prices to plummet. As the Agricultural Markets Consulting Group (GCMA) explains, trade integration under the USMCA makes Mexico the most important market for selling US agricultural surpluses, making it very difficult for local farmers to compete with the subsidized prices of their northern competitors. These subsidized prices are also imported, practically without restriction, by domestic and foreign flour mills and grain traders operating in Mexico, unleashing a profitability crisis that fuels the wave of protests currently sweeping the country.
For the moment, the drop in the value of agricultural goods has allowed Mexico to pay less than in previous years, despite the increased volume of imports. However, it is impossible to ignore that in the long term, growing dependence on foreign sources threatens not only farmers but also food sovereignty, a priority objective of the federal government. This situation is even more serious considering that Mexico’s purchases of basic foodstuffs come almost entirely from the United States, an increasingly unpredictable neighbor willing to exploit any advantage as a tool of political coercion.
In short, it is essential that the authorities develop and present a comprehensive plan for rural development that goes beyond combating poverty and marginalization and promotes a development policy that supports medium-sized farmers with surplus production through credit, agricultural insurance, and marketing assistance. It is crucial to act without delay before there is a further decline in the planting and productivity of the crops that form the basis of the Mexican diet and more agricultural land is transferred to export markets, which generate profits but not food.
For a Comprehensive Agricultural Plan for Mexico
November 26, 2025
It’s essential the government develop a comprehensive plan for rural development that goes beyond combating poverty & marginalization & promotes a development policy that supports farmers.
Mexican Farmers Strike Fights US Corn Dumping: Soberanía 86
November 26, 2025November 26, 2025
Farmers in Mexico are protesting, blockading areas across the country, challenging the low prices they receive for corn & highlighting the role of intermediaries in the supply chain & US dumping of heavily subsidized corn.
Two Mexican States Cancel Predatory “Coca Cola Christmas Caravan”
November 26, 2025
Tabasco and Puebla will cancel the Christmas marketing campaign, which is heavily subsidized by local and state governments, after El Poder del Consumidor argued its aggressive marketing violated Mexico’s General Health Law and the right to health of children.
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