Mexico: pork sales down 80% since flu outbreak

06-05-2009 | Home | News

The sales of pork products in Mexico have fallen 80% since the H1N1 influenza epidemic outbreak started. It is affecting the country, Mexican Swine Producers Confederation (CPM) informed.

CPM wants to have an information campaign, not promotional, so the people understand there is no risk in eating swine products.

CPM considers the name of swine influenza is incorrect, because according to OIE there is not any scientific proof; the virus is avian, human and swine. Now that the name changed to human flu A (H1N1) the consumers perceptions do not change and as a consequence pork consumption continues to decrease.

Mexico
In Mexico there are 6,000 swine producers, which make 1.2 million tonnes of meat per year, with 100,000 per month.

Swine producers in Mexico come from a critical situation due to the increase in the grain prices in the last two years and the drop of the swine price, additionally the current crisis has left the sector ‘out of the market’.

Exports
The swine exports, of which 95% are aimed for Japan, have not been stopped, thanks to CPM, and Mexican and Japanese authorities. They agreed not to stop them since there is no risk.

Japan receives 60,000 tonnes of swine meat produced in Mexico per year.© The rest of exports go to Korea, and in a minimum percentage to the United States.

CPM expects the disastrous effect to stop due to the name change and the information campaign.