• RECORD: Dry bean production in Mexico recorded a total 717,000 tons in 2019 hitting its worst year in 27 years due to a severe drought throughout producing states of Zacatecas, Chihuahua and Durango, according to Miguel García Winder, Mexican undersecretary for agriculture.
• COMPARISON: In 2018, Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture recorded dry bean production that year in Mexico amounted to 1.19 million tons. Given the actual numbers, the fall would amount to a drastic 34% reduction in dry bean production. This is a level not seen since 1992.
• WORRY: “There was less production in the summer and due to the fact that past inventories that were stored in the warehouse were mobilized. And because people are worried about what will happen in the future”, said García Winder, who insisted previous forecasts had to be adapted.
• CAPACITY: Along with corn, dry beans are a staple of Mexican nutrition. At the same time, retail prices of dry bean in cities across Mexico -in cities like Monterrey and Mexico City- have gone up by 37%, according to Grupo Consultor de Mercados Agrícolas (GCMA).
