Beef and pork trade with Mexico and Peru expanded by USDA

Apr 14, 2015

Done in an effort to remove barriers and explore more trade for ranchers

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that American beef and pork producers will now have access to more markets in Peru and Mexico.

"Our priority at USDA is not only to open or reopen markets for our producers, but to help drive U.S. economic growth through trade by supporting and creating American jobs on and off the farm," said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in a press release. "Mexico is an important market for U.S. cattle producers, with the potential to import $15 million of live U.S. cattle per year and we expect Peru's market could generate $5 million annually in additional pork sales."

The agreement between Mexico and is effective immediately and as a result, slaughter cattle can be exported to Mexico for the first time in a decade. Since 2008 the USDA and Mexico have been working together to reopen these trade channels and with the help of USDA Under Secretary Ed Avalos and Enrique Sanchez-Crus with SAGARPA, they’ve done so.

Peru’s Servicio National De Sanidad Argaria (SENASA) and the USDA have been working together since 2012 to get American exporters a larger area of access for fresh, chilled pork and pork products. The USDA will update their export requirements to ensure everyone is on the same page.

"More than one million people go to work every day thanks to exports of American-grown products,” said Vilsack. “Expanded U.S. agricultural exports mean more new jobs, but our farmers and ranchers will miss out on new markets for American products if Congress doesn't act on Trade Promotion Authority early this year and if we don't continue to build support for a Trans-Pacific Partnership with Asian nations.”

Join the conversation and tell us if this will impact the amount of cattle or pork you keep on your farm. Do these new developments make you want to increase your production?

Video: Dr. David Rosero: Fat Quality in Swine Diets

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. David Rosero from Iowa State University explores the critical aspects of fat quality and oxidation in swine diets. He discusses how different types of lipids affect pig performance and provides actionable insights on managing lipid oxidation in feed mills. Don’t miss this episode—available on all major platforms.

Highlight quote: "Increasing levels of oxidized fats in swine diets reduced the efficiency of feed utilization, increased mortality, and led to more pigs being classified as culls, reducing the number of full-value pigs entering the finishing barns."

Meet the guest: Dr. David Rosero / davidrosero is an assistant professor of animal science at Iowa State University. His research program focuses on conducting applied research on swine nutrition and the practical application of smart farming. He previously served as the technical officer for The Hanor Company, overseeing nutrition, research, and innovation efforts.