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Despite initially optimistic projections for the 2023/24 harvest, the El Niño has negatively impacted the corn and wheat crops. As a result, Post estimates corn production in MY 2023/24 will decrease to 122 MMT.

Wheat consumption in the Dominican Republic (DR) during marketing year (MY) 2024/25 (July 2024/June 2025) is forecast at 490,000 metric tons (MT), unchanged from the previous MY. Dominican wheat imports are forecast to rise to 670,000 MT due to manufacturers’ international expansion plans and growth in the hotel, restaurant, and institutional (HRI) sector.

In marketing year (MY)2024/25, Guatemala is forecast to produce 2.4 million metric tons (MT) of sugar from a harvested area of 242,000 hectares (Ha). Though harvested area is increasing as positive sugar prices in the international market motivate producers to keep up renovation with improved local genetics, overall production is forecast to drop four percent for the estimated harvest of MY2023/24 (2.5 million MT), due to a late start to the rainy season and an extended El Niño year.

Chile has a modern and developed food and beverage processing industry. The Chilean food sector is the second most relevant export sector in the country after mining. There are significant opportunities for imported food ingredients in Chile, as half of all ingredients used by the food processing industry are imported.

Health Canada is proposing a policy revision for foods derived from somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), cattle and swine and their progeny.

Peru has a robust food processing industry that is an integral part of its economy. The food industry contributes to nearly 27 percent of the country's industrial gross domestic product (GDP). However, the non-primary manufacturing sector, which encompasses food and beverage production, experienced a decline of 8.1 percent in 2023.

Though relatively small, the Costa Rican food processing sector relies on U.S. exporters to maintain critical supply chains. Proximity, reliability, and familiarity help make the United States the preferred supplier for a wide range of food processing ingredients, including wheat, corn, and animal proteins.

For MY 2024/25, Post forecasts cotton area to grow 13 percent compared to the current season, to 1.87 million hectares. Post also forecasts cotton production at a record 15.4 million bales (3.3 million metric tons (MMT)) on the back of significant area increase.

Post forecasts marketing year (MY) 2024/25 production at 0.91 million 480-lb bales, basically flat compared to MY 2023/24 due to high input costs, drought conditions, power outages, and lack of access to new genetically engineered seed varieties.

For MY 2024/25, Post estimates that wheat area harvested will total 195,000 hectares (ha), a 2.5 percent decrease from MY 2023/24 to due to high input costs and low prices. Wheat production will reach 1.17 million metric tons (MMT).

Guatemala continues to be a net importer of both yellow corn and rice. Corn area and production in MY2024/2025 are forecast to slightly increase to keep up with increased consumption for both food and feed; the avian sector keeps steady growth at 3-4 percent annually.

In 2023, Mexico imported $51 billion of food ingredient products, of which 63 percent were sourced from the United States. Mexico’s food processing industry is the second largest in Latin America, behind Brazil, making Mexico a top destination for U.S. food ingredients.