GAIN Reports from Tuesday, March 30, 2021

The following Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) reports were released on Tuesday, March 30, 2021.   Colombia: Grain and Feed Annual The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted household incomes in Colombia, and as a result, affected food consumption patterns. In marketing year (MY) 2021/22, Colombian grain and feed consumption is expected to rebound driven by economic recovery. In MY 2021/22, the United States may continue facing increased competition from South American exporters of corn due to favorable prices under the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) and Mercosur Economic Complementation Agreement. Corn production will remain at 1.5 million metric tons (MT) driven by higher corn prices. In MY 2021/22, rice imports will decrease, primarily, due to large domestic inventories from record production in MY 2020/21. Domestic rice production is forecast to decrease as oversupply put downward pressure on producer prices. In MY 2021/22, wheat imports are forecast to slightly increase following economic recovery. Ethiopia: Grain and Feed Annual MY 2021/22 wheat production forecast at a record of 5.18 million metric tons, while corn is projected to 8.63 million metric tons due to expected progress by the Government of Ethiopia (GOE) in supplying inputs, and with the assumption of good weather conditions in the main grain producing areas. Wheat imports are expected to continue in the same pattern as in previous years. Public measures put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have also had a negative impact on food availability, food prices, income, and food expenditures. Desert locust infestation and COVID-19 remain potential challenges in the coming production year, however efforts will be taken by the GOE to mitigate potential impacts on agricultural production in the year to come. Mexico: Food Processing Ingredients   In 2019 Mexico represented the second largest export market for U.S. agricultural products, totaling U.S. $19.2 billion. Processed food exports to Mexico totaled U.S. $5.8 billion in 2020. Despite the pandemic, and with United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) in place, Mexico continues to be a growth market for U.S. food processing ingredients. It is important to note that some data used in this report will not yet reflect real affectations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the temporary closure of some sectors and businesses in Mexico during 2020. Mexico: Mexico Coffee Import Programs   In addition to preferential tariffs within the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), Mexico has two coffee import programs managed by the Secretariat of Economy in which U.S. exporters may participate. This summary of programs is based on a cursory review of the subject announcement and therefore should not, under any circumstances, be viewed as a definitive reading of the regulation in question, or of its implications for U.S. agricultural export trade interests. In the event of a discrepancy or discrepancies between this summary and the complete regulation or announcement as published in Spanish, the latter shall prevail.  Netherlands: Food Processing Ingredients The Dutch food processing sector generated net sales of $94 billion in 2020. The industry has been hit hard by the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the measures taken by the Government. For many companies, their turnover, production, exports, and profits have fallen sharply. Food companies that predominantly supply the HRI-Foodservice sector have been hit the hardest. Driven by consumer needs for healthier and more nutritious products, there is increased attention among food processing companies to reformulate products. Growing awareness of more sustainable production procedures will continue to further shape the Dutch food processing industry in the years to come. Other consumer needs continue to be affordability, convenience, and taste. Dutch food companies are always on the lookout for good quality and innovative food ingredients. Exporters from the United States compete directly with suppliers from other European Union (EU) Member States. Taiwan: Food Processing Ingredients Report Highlights Throughout 2020, Taiwan remained essentially unimpacted by the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to the Taiwan authorities' swift, effective response in managing this global crisis. Rather, the island enjoyed its status as Asia's top performing economy in 2020 with 3.11 percent growth. Taiwan's food processing industry produced an estimated $22.1 billion of processed food and beverages in 2020, up 3.4 percent compared with 2019. Prevalent consumer concerns about food safety and heightening civic awareness about sustainability have influenced the industry to develop transparent traceability programs, clean labels, and plant-based protein initiatives. In addition to currently strong demand for dairy products, the growing market of products for elderly consumers is poised to demand more quality proteins. Products like oat milk, veggie meat, soybean ingredients, seafood, and other products are showing sales growth potential in the next decade.   For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/.     Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. 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