by PressMexican pea production down: reasons why
Mexican pea production has fallen, and prices have risen
In Mexico, pea production fell significantly in 2024. Its volume fell by almost 47%. A sharp rise in the price of pulses has exacerbated the situation. As a result, local consumers are looking for new suppliers.
Historically, peas have not been considered a traditional crop in Mexico. Over time, however, it has become widely used in local cuisine. The crop is an integral part of traditional Mexican soups and is added to salads and stews.
According to official statistics, the pea harvest in Mexico in 2024 was 31.5 thousand tonnes. This compares with almost 59,000 tonnes harvested in the previous season. The drop in production has been seen in all of the crop’s central growing regions:
— Sinaloa’s crop decreased by 93% from 4,116 tonnes to 288 tonnes;
— Baja California saw production fall by almost 62% to 1,573 tonnes;
— in Mexico state, the largest producer, the crop was down 56.7% to 12,800 tonnes.
The shortage of peas led to higher domestic prices. In July, the cost of the legume reached a record high of 150 local dollars per kilogram in Guadalajara. Prices began to fall gradually in August but are still high. By comparison, in February 2024, a 70kg bag of peas cost 1,750 Mexican dollars. By July, the price had risen to 9100 local dollars.
Grain production overview
Mexican agriculture was hard hit by drought last season, particularly grain production. The 2024-2025 marketing year was a better year for farmers as rainfall increased. As a result, harvests of significant crops increased. According to FAS, 25 million tonnes of corn were harvested. This figure is still low, leading to a 1% increase in imports.
Wheat production increased by 4% to 2.8 million tonnes. World market purchases are estimated to increase by 10% to around 6 million tonnes by the end of the year.
The USA remains Mexico’s main supplier of wheat, accounting for 70% of total purchases. Purchases from other producers, such as Canada, have also increased this season.
Mexico is also an exporter of wheat. It is forecast to sell around 600,000 tonnes of grain by the end of the year, which is 25% lower than the previous period.
This season, 4.5 million tonnes of sorghum have been harvested, which is 10% higher than last year’s results. Against this background, imports of the crop decreased by 17% (to 50 thousand tonnes).