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Illinois pork producer sees optimism in Mexico amongst tariff dispute

A past president of the Illinois Pork Producers Association says there’s surprising optimism amongst Mexican end users even as tariffs ratchet up between the two countries.

Cherly Walsh is in Monterrey, Mexico this week with the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) attending the Expo Carnes.

“I do have to say that everybody down here is optimistic.”  She says, “Nobody really knows what’s going to happen, and until things are set in stone, it’s business as usual.”

She tells Brownfield that business is a key piece to profitability for U.S. pork producers.

“Mexico eats a lot of ham.”  She says, “They’ve also added jowl, the jaw meat, to their delicacies.  It’s a way that we can utilize all of it and nothing goes into the landfills, and it’s a way to make the whole pig more marketable.”

Walsh says she’s also taking a wait and see approach to the tariffs on her central Illinois operation, but she says outreach efforts such as USMEF are crucial to building and maintaining export markets.

AUDIO: Cheryl Walsh – Illinois pork producer