US-Mexico border closures impact animal feed availability

Animal feed, grain and poultry industry associations are sounding the alarm about feed availability after two railroad bridges were closed in Texas to stop illegal migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

U.S. border officials closed international rail bridges in Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas, on Dec. 18 after detecting a stream of illegal migrants crossing the Mexico-U.S. border on trains, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said. CBP said in a statement that the closure will be temporary, but did not specify when the crossings would reopen.

In a joint statement released Dec. 18, the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and the North American Grain Export Association (NAEGA) called for the immediate opening of train crossings between the U.S. and Mexico.

“The North American market and grain supply chain are deeply intertwined,” the statement said. “The closure of these two checkpoints impacts the flow of grains and oilseeds for both human and livestock feed into one of the United States' most important export markets and trading partners.”

“The North American grain market and supply chain are deeply interconnected,” the statement said. "The closure of these two crossings impacts the supply of grains and oilseeds destined for feed and food production to one of the United States' most important export markets and trading partners."

Rail transport accounts for 64% of grain and oilseed exports to Mexico, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

NGFA and NAEGA said they have become aware of "critical feed shortages at a number of livestock operations in Mexico." We also learned that grain trains in several states were delayed from leaving due to CBP embargoes. The criticality of this problem is increasing every hour, especially for those livestock enterprises that may face a shortage of feed."

“We are deeply concerned about the current situation and ask for a reasonable and prompt solution to restore transportation.”

Mexico's National Poultry Producers Union (UNA) also warned of feed shortages due to the closure of transport. About 25% of the yellow corn Mexico buys from the U.S. and 63% of the soybean meal Mexico imports moves through the two crossings, UNA said, adding that rail bridge closures could impact imports and timely supply of feed to poultry farmers. UNA also said the closure could impact chicken and egg production in Mexico.