MEXICO CITY, MEXICO — Despite much of the country being impacted by drought, Mexico’s corn production for 2020-21 was revised slightly higher to 27.2 million tonnes, according to a June 2 Global Agricultural Information Network report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The forecast was up 235,000 tonnes from the previous projection “reflecting higher harvested area than previously estimated.” It is also higher than last year’s total of 26.6 million tonnes, but lower than the USDA’s 2021-22 forecast of 28 million tonnes.
The USDA noted that state of Sinaloa, Mexico’s largest corn producing region, has been particularly hard hit by drought.
“The initial estimate was for production in the 2020-21 fall/winter crop cycle to reach 5.5 million tonnes, but private sources are estimating output at 4.8 million tonnes due to lower-than expected yields,” the USDA said.
The drought also has impacted Mexico’s sorghum crop, which the USDA revised lower from 4.3 million tonnes to 3.8 million tonnes.