August 21, 2013
Mexico''s egg imports rise 464% in H1 2013
Mexico''s imports of eggs rose 464%from January to June 2013, after successive outbreaks of H7N3 avian influenza put an end to the country''s self-sufficiency in eggs.
According to news service NSS Oaxaca, the figure is unprecedented in the history of Mexico''s egg imports since even before the outbreak of avian influenza in mid-2012, the country was self-sufficient in egg production, which is the main source of protein for the population.
Eggpurchases from abroad totalled just US$20.4 million in 2000, that is, a quarter of that purchased between January and June this year.
Imports of fresh egg powder for industrial use in the first six months of this year exceeded the total amount imported throughout 2012, where the amount was 64 million.
Federal authorities have confirmed that avian influenza outbreaks in Guanajuato have occurred since February to May in Puebla (vaccines had to be introduced in 12 states). However, according to them, this has affected neither the national flock of hens and egg production nor their prices.
A point to be noted is that May was the month that had the highest egg imports in the last year where the figures stood at US$31.5 million, nearly double the US$16.2 million that were purchased abroad in September last year - a record until then.
Figures from the Bank of Mexico show that Mexico paid a monthly average of US$15.3 million for egg imports between January and June this year, which is five times the monthly purchase of US$2.8 million in the same period of 2012 and is 10 times the monthly US$600,000 million disbursed in 2000.