Mexico announces $4b plan to boost food self-sufficiency amid US tariffs

MEXICO CITY -- Mexico will invest over $4 billion over the next five years to strengthen food sovereignty and reduce import reliance in response to new US tariff measures, the government announced Friday.

The plan, presented by Mexico's Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development Julio Berdegue, will allocate 83.76 billion Mexican pesos ($4.1 billion) from 2025 to 2030 to increase domestic production of staple crops and products like corn, beans, rice, cacao, milk and honey.

The plan includes support for 750,000 small-and medium-sized producers, and expansion of state programs for harvests, food supply, fertilizers and processing. It also features initiatives like transforming Liconsa to boost milk production, guaranteeing minimum prices and crop insurance, providing low-interest loans for climate and pest risks, and technical and ecological assistance through national agencies.

The government targets increasing maize production from 21.3 to 25 million tons, beans from 730,000 to 1.2 million tons, rice from 221,500 to 450,000 tons, and milk from 687 million to 1.3 billion liters annually by 2030.

All goods produced under the plan will be labeled "Hecho en Mexico" ("Made in Mexico") as part of the country's food sovereignty strategy, one of President Claudia Sheinbaum's 18 national priorities.