Wisconsin Ag Officials Hope For Stronger Ties With Mexico

Apr 17, 2017

By Hope Kirwan

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is sending a delegation to Mexico next month to strengthen dairy exports.

DATCP officials and agricultural companies from Wisconsin will have an exhibit at Expo Leche, Mexico's largest dairy conference.

A press release from DATCP said the purpose of the trade mission is to "establish and reinforce relationships with Mexico."

As President Donald Trump calls for negotiating trade with Mexico through the North American Free Trade Agreement, Bob Cropp from the University of Wisconsin-Madison said Wisconsin is not the only one looking to reinforce trade relationships.

"We've had people from the U.S. just recently go down to assure Mexico that we're serious about maintaining a strong relationship with them," Cropp said.

Mexico is Wisconsin's second largest Ag export market, buying $61 million dollars in dairy products in 2016.

The state's number one market is Canada. But that trade relationship has been strained in the last month as new Canadian policies make it harder for U.S. producers to compete.

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Video: Seaweed-Based Solutions: Building Natural Performance in Modern Swine Production

In today’s pork industry, producers are under increasing pressure to do more with fewer inputs—while maintaining performance, improving animal health, and meeting sustainability expectations.

we sit down with Sylvain David and Scott Preston from Olmix to explore how seaweed-based solutions are emerging as a foundational tool in modern swine nutrition.

Rather than acting as simple alternatives, these solutions are designed to support gut health, immune resilience, and overall system consistency—especially during key stress periods like weaning, feed transitions, and disease challenges.

The conversation dives into:

• What seaweed-based solutions actually are and how they work

• Why consistency and standardization matter in “natural” products

• How gut health connects to immune function and performance

• Where producers are seeing real-world impact today

• The role of natural solutions in the future of sustainable pork production