Sonora cattle prices rise 19% amid US border reopening

The price of male feeder calves raised in Sonora, Mexico, has increased by 19 percent since late July. During the first half of September, average prices reached 129.81 pesos per kilogram.

Experts attribute this rise to high expectations of increased demand following the reopening of the US border to livestock, which had been closed due to concerns regarding the screwworm. Juan Carlos Anaya, director of Grupo Consultor de Mercados Agrícolas (GCMA), noted that since the US government announced it would resume receiving cattle from Agua Prieta, Sonora, on July 24, market speculation among producers has impacted the domestic market.

While some ranchers report record export prices, Anaya warned that the stability of these prices depends on actual operations and the costs associated with new mobilization schemes. Factors such as bilateral sanitary protocols against the screwworm and the potential for technical delays at the border could influence whether these high prices are sustained or if cattle depreciate while waiting in corrals.