MEXICO CITY, MEXICO — Mexico’s corn production in 2019-20 is forecast to decline year on year while wheat output is projected to increase, according to a Jan. 17 Global Agricultural Information Network report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The USDA predicts a 2019-20 corn crop of 25 million tonnes, about a 10% decrease from last year’s harvest of 27.6 million tonnes.

“The official sources assume a higher yield than initially estimated in the 2019 spring/summer crop cycle,” the USDA said. “However, due to the adverse dry weather conditions that impacted the 2019 spring/summer cycle, private analysts consider the level of yields estimated by official sources to be extremely optimistic.”

The USDA foresees a decline in yield from 3.84 tonnes per hectare in 2018-19 to 3.67 tonnes per hectare this year as well as harvested area that is reduced from 7.2 million hectares to 6.8 million.

Mexico was the world’s seventh largest corn producer in 2018-19.

Mexico’s wheat production in 2019-20 is forecast at 3.2 million tonnes, up from 3 million tonnes the previous year.

Planted area is projected to increase to 593,000 hectares from 540,000 hectares, the USDA said.