Mexico cattle sector suffer price slump as worm-driven border closure bites

Cattle producers in Tabasco say the arrival of meat of uncertain origin has deepened a price collapse for livestock on the ground, threatening the regional economy. They link the slump to a dual crisis: a saturated domestic market caused by the shutdown of live‑cattle exports to the United States after the detection of the cattle worm (gusano barrenador), and competition from irregular or smuggled meat imports.

Despite the border closure, Mexico increased packaged meat exports by up to 30 % in the past year. The government instructed producers to finish‑fatten cattle domestically and ship processed meat to the U.S. market. A new sterile‑fly plant will open in Chiapas on 26 June to combat the worm and help reopen the live‑cattle corridor. Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and the national sanitary service have been urged to audit the supply chain and tighten border monitoring to protect animal health and market stability.