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Mexico’s oilseed crush in marketing year (MY) 2024/25 is forecast to increase due to higher vegetable oil and animal feed demand. Forecast economic growth and lower interest rates are expected to drive production of oil and meal and increase Mexico’s soybean and rapeseed imports by four percent and seventeen percent, respectively.

Mexico’s 2024 avocado production is forecast at 2.77 million metric tons (MMT), a five percent increase over 2023 on strong export demand. Production in 2023 reached 2.65 MMT, up four percent compared to the previous year.

Post forecasts that South Africa’s oilseed area will be maintained at elevated levels in marketing year 2024/25. South Africa’s summer rainfall oilseed crops in marketing year 2023/24 have been affected by an El Niño induced mid-summer drought, resulting in an expected major drop in crop volumes, creating an optimistic outlook for higher crop area in marketing year 2024/25.

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.

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.

South Africa’s corn crop in marketing year 2023/24 has been affected by an El Niño induced mid-summer drought, resulting in an expected drop of more than 15 percent in crop volume.

The South African ports have been overwhelmed with challenges in the past few years, causing delays in operations and financial losses. In 2022, the Container Port Performance Index by the World Bank ranked the port of Durban 341 out of 348 ports in the world and the Port of Cape Town was ranked 344.

Lower feed prices are expected to boost producer profits in 2024, thereby increasing domestic beef and pork production. Beef imports are forecast to decrease, and pork imports are expected to remain nearly flat.

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

The Competition Commission of South Africa, and independent body under the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition announced the launch of a comprehensive market inquiry that will seek to determine if the South African poultry industry is impeding, distorting, or restricting competition in a way that violates the South African Competition Act.

On January 25, 2024, the Government of Mexico implemented a decree modifying provisions of the Federal Labor Law and the Social Security Law related to agricultural labor rights.

Mexico’s chicken meat production is forecast to exhibit continued growth in 2024 due to increased private investment in the sector. Imports are also forecast to increase, driven by robust domestic demand.