MEXICO CITY, MEXICO — Mexico’s wheat production forecast for 2019-20 has been revised upward, according to an Aug. 28 Global Agricultural Information Network report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The USDA said favorable weather conditions and plentiful water reservoirs in Sonora, the main wheat producing state, helped to obtain higher yields than initially estimated, which will increase the country’s wheat output to 3.3 million tonnes, up from 3 million tonnes in 2018-19.

However, wheat consumption and imports are revised downward from last month’s USDA projection as a result of the sluggish Mexican economy and higher domestic production. Still, the projected import total of 5.2 million tonnes is higher than the 2018-19 total of 4.86 million tonnes.

“The composition of imported wheat origins changed slightly in 2018-19 as imports from the United States increased compared to a year earlier, while imports from other origins such as Russia and Ukraine declined,” the USDA said. “Mexico has diversified its sources of wheat over the past several years, with secondly suppliers varying depending on price and quality.”

Mexico’s corn output in 2018-19 is estimated at 27.6 million tonnes, up 900,000 tonnes from the previous projection.

“The increase reflects slightly higher area harvested than previously estimated and favorable weather conditions,” the USDA said.

In 2019-20, Mexico is forecast to produce 27 million tonnes of corn, slightly lower than the prior year, and is expected to import 18.5 million tonnes, well above the 2018-19 total of 16.1 million tonnes, the USDA said.