January 28, 2005

Mexico's 2005 Sinaloa corn crop at record 4.2 million tons

Mexico's northern state of Sinaloa expects to produce a record white corn crop in the upcoming 2005 spring-summer harvest of 4.2 million metric tons, Agriculture Minister Javier Usabiaga said.

This is 11% higher than the 2004 spring-summer crop, for which harvesting starts in April, which ended at 3.8 million tons and itself was close to a record, Usabiaga said, speaking to reporters late Wednesday.

Excellent weather with good and adequate rainfalls at the right time of the cycle had increased yields at Mexico's largest grain-producing state, Sinaloa, to levels never seen before in Mexico.

The minister said the Sinaloa producers stand out as an example of how the agriculture sector can overcome the many difficult challenges farmers face in a globalized world and become efficient, productive and competitive.

"We cannot underestimate the harsh pressure and competitive demands our producers face from farmers in other countries and which exist in the world today.

"The producers in Sinaloa have shown how adopting modern technology and better seed varieties successfully can transform the fields into productive and efficient crops which make them competitive in the international market," said Usabiaga.

Usabiaga was speaking on the sidelines of the fifth Expo-Agro farm conference and exhibition in northern Mexico, which runs Jan. 26-29. Organizers expect some 50,000 people to visit the 350 stands and 250 companies represented at the conference.