The agricultural and agroindustrial trade balance registered a surplus of 5.163 million dollars between January and August of this year, reported the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader). Although this data was ranked as the third highest positive balance in 27 years (for the same period), it also meant a 40.2% drop compared to the same period in 2020 ($ 8.638 million).
The fall is explained, in part, due to the fact that imports registered a greater dynamism than exports this year: purchases abroad were for 24,226 million dollars (a growth of 38.8%), while shipments amounted to 29,390 million dollars. dollars (an increase of 12.6% in the first eight months of the year.
According to figures from the Bank of Mexico, the federal agency highlighted that the dynamics presented by exports of agri-food goods allows the country to obtain foreign exchange that exceeds those obtained from the sale of oil products by 11,256 million dollars (62.1%) and tourism foreign in 17,549 million dollars (148.2 percent).
He said that, in the first eight months of the year, Mexico’s total agri-food trade with its commercial partners reached 53.616 million dollars. 54.82% corresponded to sales made by our country.
Agriculture pointed out that, in this period, beverages, vegetables and fruits were the main export groups, since they concentrated 62 percent of the total, with 22, 20 and 20% participation, respectively.
Regarding the agricultural and fishing balance for the period January-August 2021, it presented a positive balance of 1,198 million dollars, with sales of 13,229 million dollars and purchases abroad for 12,031 million dollars, despite a greater increase in the latter.
In the area of agroindustrial products, exports reached 16,160 million dollars, while imports totaled 12,195 million dollars, thus resulting in a trade surplus of 3,965 million dollars in said period.
Regarding agro-industrial products, soybean oil exports registered the highest growth, with 192.21%; meat and poultry offal, 189.49%; soups, stews or broths, 60.97%; tequila and mezcal, 40.94%, and waters and soft drinks with an increase of 40.81 percent.
While the national products with the highest export value were: beer, with 3.678 million dollars; tequila and mezcal, with 2,078 million dollars and avocado, 1,912 million dollars, he stressed.
The Secretariat noted that, in the first eight months of the year, more than 57% of imports are concentrated in four groups: cereals, with 21%; oil seeds and oleaginous fruits, with 15%; meat, with 15%, and dairy, eggs and honey, with 6.0 percent.
On the other hand, Sader also presented the data for the month of September and highlighted that a surplus has been observed for the seventh year, whose value of exports -in the ninth month of the year- was 1,275 million dollars, an amount that implied a annual growth of 3.3 percent. The largest increases in said month were observed in exports of chickpea 99.2%, fish, crustaceans and mollusks 44.6%, fruits and edible fruits 30.3%, avocado 19% and pepper 17.5%.
Reference-www.eleconomista.com.mx