The U.S. Grains & BioProducts Council reported that Mexico’s demand for distillers’ dried grains with solubles (DDGS) reached a record 2.5 million metric tons in marketing year 2023/24, surpassing the previous high of 2.3 million metric tons in 2021/22 and valued at $655 million.
The USGBC’s’s promotion efforts played a key role in this growth, especially through advancing corn fermented protein (CFP), a high-value co-product derived from DDGS. Since launching market exploration in 2021, CFP has been integrated into Mexico’s portfolio, targeting aquaculture and dairy sectors.
Using Market Access Program (MAP) funds, the USGBC secured $2.02 million in CFP sales, contributing to $11.2 million in total DDGS and CFP sales. Export Exchange 2024 was pivotal in facilitating these sales agreements, linking U.S. suppliers with Mexican buyers.
Notable contracts included dairy giant Lala/Nuplen purchasing 600 metric tons of CFP valued at $260,000 and 30,830 metric tons of DDGS worth $9.16 million. Grupo Acuicola Mexicano (GAM) acquired 2,500 metric tons of CFP for $1.5 million for shrimp farms. At CONACUA 2024, the Council helped broker a 600 metric ton CFP deal with Grupo Ary, Mexico’s second-largest shrimp producer.
Through partnerships with feed producer associations and U.S. suppliers, the USGBC expects these agreements to drive continued growth into 2025.
With a $90,000 investment in Export Exchange and CONACUA programming, the USGBC achieved a return on investment of $124 for every $1 spent, reinforcing the value of its efforts to expand U.S. agricultural exports to Mexico.
