Veracruz pork producers face crisis as prices plunge and imports surge

Pork farmers in Veracruz are confronting a severe crisis as the farm‑gate price of live pigs has fallen about 30%, to roughly 35.7–37 pesos per kilogram, while feed costs consume 70–80% of production expenses. The slump is compounded by a steady flow of imported pork, first from the United States and increasingly from Brazil since early 2025, which now accounts for half of Mexico’s pork consumption.

Juan Miguel Ríos Andrade, a representative of the Asociación Virtual de Porcicultores, warned that sector activity could decline up to 45% by the end of 2026 if the trend continues. The association has launched a rescue plan that includes training for 56 informal producers, improving biosecurity and genetics, and seeking investors to build feed‑processing plants in the state's ten regions. It also proposes a "Proteína Social Veracruzana" program to supply local government food schemes with domestically produced pork, aiming to preserve jobs and keep prices affordable for consumers.