Agriculture

Following 10 years of growth roughly on par with that of the overall economy, Mexico’s agriculture sector outstripped GDP growth by 1.2 percentage points in 2016 and registered a trade surplus for the second year running. Given the uncertainty over future US trade policy, there has rarely been a more urgent or ripe time to address the needs of Mexico’s agriculture industry. In the short term, diversification of export markets and of imports from the US can mitigate the impact of a potential, if unlikely, tariff hike. In the long run, however, the right kind of investment could help unlock agricultural potential. This chapter features interviews with José Calzada Rovirosa, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food; and Gaston Mauvezin, CEO, Proteak.