Browse Data and Analysis

The five biggest corporations, Shoprite Holdings Ltd., Pick n Pay Retailers Pty Ltd., Spar Group Ltd., Walmart-owned Massmart, and Woolworths Holdings Ltd., account for a substantial portion of the retail food market in South Africa. When combined, they make up over 60% of all retail food sales.

Soybeans from the United States are once again eligible to enter South Africa. After a mid-summer drought that caused a 35 percent drop in production, South Africa needs to import soybeans to supplement domestic production and maintain crushing demand.

Mexico’s 2024 peach production is forecast at 266,400 metric tons (MT), a three percent increase over 2023, driven by steady domestic demand and minimal exports.

Hot and dry conditions in the autumn and winter of 2024 led to a drop in the production of South African sugar cane. This is expected to translate into a slight decrease in sugar production and exports.

Post forecasts Mexico’s sugar production at 5.4 million metric tons raw value (MMT-RV) for marketing year (MY) 2024/25 (October 1 – September 30).

The following is part of a series of reports prepared by the Agricultural Trade Offices (ATOs) in Monterrey and Mexico City, to provide background on local and regional markets of interest for current and prospective exporters of U.S. agriculture, food and beverage products.

The outlook for Mexican grain production in marketing year (MY) 2024/2025 is higher year-on-year for corn, rice, and sorghum based on higher-than-average precipitation and a gradual recovery from exceptional drought conditions.

The animal feed industry in South Africa is well established and highly scientific. Efficient formulations have enabled significant expansion of the livestock sector driven by a surge in local meat consumption.

In 2025, high domestic meat demand and lower prices of animal feed for both cattle and swine are expected to drive up overall cattle, beef, pig crop, and pork production. Despite relatively high inflation levels for food products, beef consumption is expected to grow as consumers shift purchases to more affordable meat cuts.

Post forecasts production for marketing year (MY) 2024/25 at 0.85 million 480-lb bales, a similar level as in MY 2023/24. The planting area is expected to decrease due to farmers switching to more profitable crops. Constraints on planted area and yield include limited seed technology, high input costs, extreme temperatures, and drought.

Mexico is the sixth largest poultry producer and fifth largest consumer globally. In 2025 production is forecast to grow as higher private investments in poultry sector and improved feed prices are expected to boost industry-wide productivity.

Post forecasts that chicken meat production will increase by three percent to 1.65 million tons in Marketing Year (MY) 2025 as a result of a strengthening domestic sector. Post raises the 2024 production estimate by 6 percent to 1.59 million tons as the industry has rebounded from the 2023 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) outbreak.