November 17, 2025

 

Mexico presents new national plan to promote production and processing of domestic corn

 

 

Mexico has presented the "National Native Corn Plan: Corn is the Root", which aims to promote the conservation, production, processing, and marketing of Mexico's native corn.

 

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum emphasised that the initiative seeks to support 1.5 million small-scale farmers who cultivate milpas of corn, squash, and beans through the purchase of region-specific equipment that will be collectively accessible. This machinery will be used for tasks such as clearing land or planting seeds, as well as for processing surplus harvests into finished products, helping producers generate additional income.

 

María Luisa Albores, director of Food for Well-Being, highlighted that the project is the result of months of collective work. She explained that the goal is to strengthen agroecological production of native corn varieties through collective access to tools and machinery, with dedicated funding for maintenance to ensure long-term durability.

 

She specified that the plan will include a technical support strategy involving communities of up to 100 farmers. These groups will be supported by Community Promoters from the Youth Building the Future programme to encourage generational renewal. They will also receive ongoing assistance from a team of specialists assigned to each region of the country.

 

The plan will begin in 2026, starting in the southeast and southern Pacific regions. It will assist 677,005 corn-producing families working 886,687 ha across 437 municipalities in the states of Oaxaca, Chiapas, Guerrero, Yucatan, Campeche, Quintana Roo, and Tabasco. This effort is expected to increase native corn yields by 20% per hectare. By 2030, the goal is to benefit 1.5 million small producers, covering 1.8 million ha across 872 municipalities in 29 states, increasing per-hectare production by 50%.

 

Sheinbaum stressed that the purpose is to ensure that farmers continue planting their own corn and continue feeding themselves from the milpa. "Today, they receive support through the Production for Well-Being program and free fertiliser, but now they will also have technical assistance and machinery designed for each region," she explained.

 

She also announced that the plan seeks to prevent surplus native corn from being sold to intermediaries by adding value through the production of tostadas, totopos, and tortillas with origin labeling, as well as community-run tortilla shops led by women. To support this effort, the Institute for Social Economy will conduct workshops to organise rural women into cooperatives.

 

"It is a comprehensive programme that, beyond direct support, is designed to endure over time. We want farmers who continue using native corn to be able to preserve it, because it is the essence of Mexico. That is why we say corn is the root," the president stated.

 

Mexico is the eighth-largest corn producer worldwide, accounting for 1.9% of the international market. However, in recent years, production has declined. In 2021, the country produced 27.5 million tonnes of corn, a figure that decreased slightly to 26.6 million tonnes in 2022. For 2023, production was estimated to recover slightly to 27.5 million tonnes. However, projections for 2024 and 2025 indicate a more pronounced drop, to 23.1 million tonnes and 21.7 million tonnes, respectively. This represents a decrease of nearly 21% in five years.

 

In contrast, corn consumption in Mexico has remained stable and has even grown slightly. In 2021, demand reached 45 million tonnes, and projections indicate that it will hit 46.5 million tonnes by the end of 2025. As a result, corn imports have increased significantly. In 2021, imports totaled 17.7 million tonnes, and by the end of 2025, they are expected to reach 24.8 million tonnes, representing an accumulated increase of more than 40% over five years.

 

The Ministry of Agriculture (SADER) maintains that, by 2025, market conditions for white corn in Mexico will guarantee national supply, within a context of high domestic and international production. However, Homero López, President of the National Tortilla Council (CNT), stated that the sector requires 18 million tonnes annually. He added that Mexico is not self-sufficient in white corn as the country continues to import this grain from the United States.

 

In this regard, Juan Carlos Anaya, director general of GCMA, explained in an interview with Milenio that white corn imports increased by 253.2% during the first half of 2025, compared to the same period the previous year. In 2025, the leading corn-producing states are Jalisco with 3.38 million tonnes, accounting for 16% of total production, Michoacan in second place with 2.04 million tonnes and a 9% share, and Sinaloa in third place with 1.73 million tonnes, representing 8%.

- Mexico Business News