United States 

Department 

of Agriculture 

www.ers.usda.gov 

 A Report from the Economic Research Service

Abstract

Mexico often exports over a million head of cattle annually to the United States. These 

animals, primarily intended for U.S. stocker and/or feeder operations, all pass through 

a cow-calf production system of one form or another in Mexico. This report outlines 

cow-calf production types, beef production systems, and geo-climatic infl uences on 

beef production in Mexico. The authors of this report also evaluate factors affecting 

Mexican beef production, such as patterns of landownership, major diseases and parasites in cattle production, changes in export regions, and changes in domestic consumption as they pertain to cow-calf production. Amid changes in consumer demand and the 

continuous challenges pertaining to Mexico’s cattle export market, production practices 

at the cow-calf level may pinpoint opportunities and constraints within the domestic 

beef markets of both Mexico and the United States. 

Keywords: cow-calf, Mexico, beef production, cattle

Acknowledgments

Thanks go to those who took the time to provide useful comments on early drafts: Don 

Blayney (Economic Research Service); Jim Robb (former director of Livestock Market 

Information Center and current vice president of Research and Analysis, CoBank); 

Eduardo Segarra (professor and chairman, Department of Agricultural and Applied 

Economics, Texas Tech University); Steven Zahniser (ERS); and Zaida SanJuan 

(Foreign Agricultural Service, Mexico). Thanks also to our editor, Angela Anderson; 

our designer, Victor Phillips, Jr.; and to David Marquardt (ERS) whose mapping skills 

contributed signifi cantly to the fi nal product.

About the authors: Derrell S. Peel is a professor and extension livestock marketing 

specialist at Oklahoma State University and visiting scholar from Instituto Nacional de 

Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias (INIFAP) and Fundación Produce, 

Chihuahua, Mexico. Rachel J. Johnson and Kenneth H. Mathews, Jr., are agricultural 

economists with USDA’s Economic Research Service. 

Derrell S. Peel

Rachel J. Johnson, rjohnson@ers.usda.gov

Kenneth H. Mathews, Jr., kmathews@ers.usda.gov

Cow-Calf Beef Production

LDP-M-196-01

November 2010

in Mexico

Contents

Approved by USDA’s 

World Agricultural 

Outlook Board

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Geo-Climatic Production 

Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Major Mexican Cattle 

Diseases and Parasites . . . . . . . 8

The Mexican Landscape and 

Cow-Calf Production . . . . . . . 10

Land Ownership and 

Livestock Production . . . . . . . 12

The Mexican Cattle 

Industry: By the Numbers . . . 13

Types of Beef Cow-Calf 

Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Cow-Calf Production 

Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Cattle Marketing Systems 

and U.S. Exports . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Outlook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
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Cattle production provides vital economic activity for the large expanse of 

nonarable land in Mexico, and the United States is the primary export market. 

Cattle raised for export in Mexico represent, on average, more than half of 

all U.S. cattle imports. In 12 of the years between 1989 and 2009, Mexico 

exported over a million head of cattle, mostly steers and heifers for feeding, 

to the United States (fi g. 1). 

Exports of Mexican cattle fl uctuate seasonally, depending on weather conditions and the availability of forage for grazing. Cattle exports tend to peak 

in the early spring (February-March) and late fall (October-November), 

as forage conditions deteriorate (fi g. 2). Lighter weight feeder and stocker 

cattle1 are exported since the United States has the comparative advantage in 

feeding cattle and growing cattle on available forages. 

Recent shifts in cattle-exporting regions refl ect longer term changes in the 

industry. Improved quality, combined with improved health status in several 

regions and a generally strong demand for Mexican cattle in the United 

States in the past decade, has led to increased exports from more Mexican 

States. Mexico’s ability to remain a strong cattle exporter to the United 

States, however, depends principally on the health and quality of the cattle 

and breed characteristics. Cattle intended for export to the United States typically originate from cow-calf operations in Mexico as stocker/feeder animals. 

Improvements in cattle quality and management practices at the cow-calf 

level will increase the number of cattle that meet changing consumer demand 

in Mexico and are suitable for export to the United States. 

1 Stocker cattle are weaned calves 

intended for sale as commercial feeder 

cattle, but have not yet been placed in 

the feedlot.

Introduction

Figure 1

Source: USDA, Economic Research Service. 

Head of cattle (thousands) 

1989 91 93 95 97 99 2001 03 05 07 09 

1,800

1,600

1,400

1,200

1,000

800

600

400

200

0

Cattle exported from Mexico to the United States, 1989-2009

Cattle imports under 400 pounds

Cattle imports, 400-700 pounds

cattle imports, over 700 pounds total
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Figure 2

Source: USDA, Economic Research Service. 

Head of cattle (thousands) 

2006 

2007 

2009

2008

 Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. .Oct. Nov. Dec.

180

160

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

Cattle exports from Mexico to the United States 

follows a seasonal pattern
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Mexico is divided into four climatic areas: arid, semi-arid, temperate, and 

tropical (fi g. 3). Tropical areas can be further divided into humid and dry 

tropics. Cattle are produced in virtually all of Mexico’s climatic environments (fi g. 4), with production systems and costs dependent on climate. The 

productivity of each cattle production system—or costs to achieve a given 

level of productivity—varies from region to region. 

Arid 

Approximately 20 percent (about 41 million hectares) of Mexico is arid. 

Most of the arid land is located in the States of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Chihuahua, and Coahuila, with smaller proportions in 

Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosi, and Zacatecas. Arid lands range 

from desert areas completely devoid of vegetation to areas of desert scrub 

(chaparral) dominated by shrub species with some grass and forbs.2 Some of 

these chaparral areas contain plant species of good palatability and nutritional 

quality, but forage production is low. The four primary cow-calf production 

systems in Mexico (described later) can be adapted to arid regions. In addition to water, one of the principal limitations to production in arid regions 

is the extensive area needed for grazing. Stocking rates are very low in arid 

areas, ranging from 25 to more than 50 hectares per animal unit,3 and supplemental feed is essential for more intensive production. The arid climate also 

favors a moderate cow size. The large Continental4 breeds, with higher daily 

energy requirements than smaller breeds, may be challenged to fi nd suffi cient 

2 Forbs are herbaceous plants that are 

not grasses.

3 An animal unit (AU) is 1,000 

pounds of grazing animal. A 1,000– 

pound cow with calf constitutes 1 AU. 

4 Continental and British breeds are 

two categories of bos taurus breeds of 

cattle. While both categories originated from Europe, the British breeds, 

specifi cally originating from the British Isles, are smaller in size, mature 

early, and have increased fl eshing and 

marbling ability. The larger Continental breeds are leaner, more muscular, 

and, as with the British breeds, vary in 

adaptability to hot climates.

Figure 3

Geo-climatic regions of Mexico

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 2005.

Arid and seimi-arid

Temperate

Mountains

Humid tropical

Dry tropical

Geo-Climatic Production Regions
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forage. The breeds that do best in the arid regions of Mexico are the smaller 

British breeds, which may have some Zebu5 cross. 

Semi-arid

Semi-arid climate is found in about 28 percent of Mexico, adjacent to the arid 

areas in the North and stretching farther down the central mesa. The highest 

proportions of semi-arid land (to total State area) are found in Aguascalientes, Chihuahua, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas. Smaller proportions are found in Sonora, Durango, 

México, Puebla, Coahuila, and Jalisco. Semi-arid areas typically include 

short-grass prairies with some mixture of forbs and shrubs (fi g. 5). Like the 

arid regions, forage production on semi-arid land is seasonal and characterized by a short rainy season in the summer and fall, followed by a 6- to 

7-month dry season. Forage quality remains relatively good in the dry season, 

but careful pasture management is required to ensure adequate quantities 

of forage. Stocking rates range from 12 to 25 hectares per animal unit. A 

protein supplement is usually required in the dry season as well as an energy 

supplement when forage quantity is limited. Cow size is not as limited as for 

arid land, but the reproductive performance of large Continental breeds will 

decrease quickly with nutritional shortages. Many large operations producing 

cattle for export to the United States are located in the arid and semi-arid 

States of Mexico. 

5 In the minds of many U.S. producers, Zebu is synonymous with Brahman cattle. In fact, Brahman (or more 

specifi cally, American Brahman) is 

only one of several bos indicus breeds 

used in semi-tropical and tropical 

climates in the Americas. Zebu breeds 

used in Mexico include Brahman, 

Nelore, Gir, Indubrasil, and Guzerat. 

These breeds share a number of phenotypic characteristics, including the 

distinctive hump and pendulous hide. 

However, each of these breeds can be 

distinguished by color patterns, horn 

shape, and ear confi guration. For example, Indubrasil cattle have extremely 

long pendulous ears (part of their heat 

adaptation) and are very distinguishable from Brahman cattle.

Figure 4

Source: INEGI Censo Agropecuario, 2007. 

Beef cattle are not uniformly distributed among Mexican States

Sonora

Chihuahua

Durango

Oaxaca

Jalisco

Chiapas

Guerrero

Yucatan

Zacatecas

Sinaloa

Tamaulipas

Coahuila

Campeche

Nuevo 

Leon

Veracruz

-Llave

San Luis 

Potosi

Nayarit

Baja California 

Sur

Baja California 

Norte

Quintana 

Roo

Tabasco

Guanajuato

Michoacan Colima

Aguas

-calientes

Puebla

Mexico

Hidalgo

Morelos

Queretaro

Tlaxcala Distrito

Federal

 <37,000

37,000 - 100,000

100,000 - 200,000

200,000 - 300,000

 >300,001

Number of dual-purpose cows, 

by State, 2007
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Temperate 

Mexico’s mountainous interior accounts for 23 percent of the area characterized by a temperate climate. Temperate climates are widespread, with nearly 

every State having some temperate area, and extend from the Sierras in 

Chihuahua to the highlands of Chiapas. Most of the temperate climate area is 

in the interior part of central Mexico. High proportions of temperate climate 

areas are found in Tlaxcala, México, Michoacán, Guerrero, Jalisco, and 

Hidalgo. The temperate climate region is divided between forested mountains 

and cultivated valleys.

Beef production plays a relatively small role in this region compared with 

crop production and other livestock production activities. Also home to over 

60 percent of the Nation’s population, large quantities of dairy, pork, poultry, 

and egg production occur in the temperate region. Compared with the other 

climatic regions, many beef operations in the temperate region are small and 

are operated in conjunction with farming and other activities. Large tracts of 

extensive range are not common. Many cattle are produced with relatively 

little permanent pasture and require large proportions of crop residues and 

byproduct feeds. Stocking rates in the temperate region range from 4 to 12 

hectares per animal unit. Production costs are moderate in the region, but 

productivity is often low because of generally fewer management practices. 

Climate, disease, and pest problems are less severe in the temperate areas, 

but the annual dry period leads to nutritional stress that Zebu cattle are better 

suited to sustain than British or Continental breeds, especially in the more 

southern States of Mexico.

Figure 5

Source: Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University.

Production of VacaNorte cattle on semi-arid rangeland in Chihuahua
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Dry Tropics 

Dry tropics make up about 16 percent of the total land area of Mexico. Dry 

tropical regions are characterized by annual frost-free temperatures and high 

rainfall, but they also experience a seasonal arid pattern. Dry tropics are 

distributed widely across Mexico, with large concentrations in the Yucatan 

Peninsula, including the States of Yucatán and Campeche; the northern Gulf 

Coast, including northern Veracruz and Tamaulipas; and much of the Pacifi c 

Coast, including parts of Sinaloa, Nayarit, Colima, Guerrero, Oaxaca, and 

Chiapas. 

The dry tropics provide a challenging beef production environment due to the 

heat, disease, and pest factors common to tropics but with the added burden 

of a dry season, which results in reduced forage quality and quantity. The 

stocking rate in dry tropical regions is generally 3-6 hectares per animal unit. 

All calf production practices are possible, but production of higher quality 

cattle for export means increased costs for feed and pest/disease control. 

In the tropical areas of Mexico, the climate and production environment 

strongly favor the use of Zebu cattle.

Humid Tropics 

The humid tropics are characterized by high annual rainfall and green vegetation and account for the remaining 13 percent of Mexico’s land area. Biomass 

production is high, and thus, stocking rates are high, ranging from 1 to 3 

hectares per animal unit. Forage quality is relatively low, resulting in lower 

animal productivity unless supplemental feed is provided. Heat and humidity, 

combined with severe disease and pest problems, make Zebu cattle preferable 

in this region.
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Cattle producers in Mexico face a wide variety of production challenges, 

including diseases and pests. Aside from signifi cant economic and trade 

impacts, several of the major Mexican cattle diseases and parasites also 

represent serious human health threats.

Bovine Tuberculosis (TB) is the primary disease that limits Mexico’s access 

to export markets for cattle. TB is endemic in the country, though reasonably 

well controlled in most areas. Mexico has supported a Federal TB eradication program since 1971 and, in conjunction with individual States, has made 

substantial progress, particularly in the northern States, where cattle production is often focused on calves for export. TB remains widespread in concentrated areas of dairy production in the northern States, threatening the status 

of surrounding areas of beef cattle production. In other parts of the country, 

isolated regions have achieved a TB status that permits cattle exports, but 

that status is diffi cult to maintain because of surrounding endemic areas. 

Although TB affects the productivity of cows for meat or for milk production, the effects are so subtle that many producers fail to recognize the 

impacts, making voluntary cooperation in eradication programs diffi cult. TB 

is a zoonotic disease that threatens human health as well. 

Brucellosis is currently endemic and widespread in Mexican cattle. The 

prevalence of brucellosis prevents exports of breeding animals, but its biggest 

impact is on productivity. The disease reduces reproductive performance but, 

like TB, usually does not affect the overall health of infected animals. The 

principal impact of the disease is spontaneous abortion in cattle; since the 

disease often goes undetected or undiagnosed, the disease’s impacts are often 

underestimated. In addition to the Federal TB eradication program, Mexico 

also has a Federal brucellosis eradication program, but it requires greater 

resources and progress in implementation has been slow. Brucellosis is also 

a zoonotic disease, threatening humans, primarily through consumption of 

unpasteurized milk and dairy products.

Major Mexican Cattle Diseases 

 and Parasites
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Rabies, also a zoonotic disease, occurs throughout Mexico and affects a wide 

range of wildlife and domestic animals (especially dogs), as well as people. 

Rabies in cattle occurs primarily in Mexico’s tropical areas and is typically 

spread through the bites of vampire bats, often resulting in signifi cant losses, 

particularly of young animals. In recent years, educational programs have 

helped producers identify the specifi c habitat of vampire bats (as opposed to 

the various other insectivorous bats in the region) and implement more effective control of the bats, sharply decreasing the rabies incidence in cattle in 

some regions. 

Mexico is host to several species of ticks, including those that cause tick fever 

(babesiosis or cattle fever). Ticks are widespread in cattle across Mexico, but 

tick loads (tick density on animal) are particularly heavy in tropical areas. 

Aside from direct disease impacts, heavy tick loads impact productivity. 

During wet periods, when tick infestations are highest, cattle must be treated 

every 10-14 days with an acaricide. Acaricide-resistant ticks are increasingly 

common, leading to greater concern about the effectiveness of current tick 

control measures.
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Mexico’s cow-calf industry encompasses a wide array of production activities that vary according to a diverse set of economic motivations, political 

and legal environments, and cultural adaptations. Cow-calf enterprises 

produce meat, milk, breeding stock, animals for work, and animals for recreation, including fi ghting bulls and rodeo cattle. These diverse enterprises are 

supported by beef production in climatic conditions ranging from tropical to 

desert. Given these many factors, Mexican cow-calf production is classifi ed 

by product, by region, by management system, and by animal type. 

Mexico offers extensive forage resources, and over half of its 196 million 

hectares are used for livestock production. Cattle consumed the most forage 

in 2007, with a total inventory of over 23 million head, but 9 million head 

of swine, 7 million head of sheep, and 4 million head of goats also compete 

for forage resources (table 1). Forage resources include forbs and shrub 

species in arid regions, semi-arid and temperate native range that extends 

into forested areas, and tropical grazing areas, some that are available only 

seasonally due to the presence of standing water. Cattle producers also make 

extensive use of crop residues and byproduct feeds, including sugarcane 

bagasse, citrus pulp and waste, brewer’s grains, and discarded food products. 

The Mexican Landscape

 and Cow-Calf Production

Table 1

Mexican livestock inventory, by species and type, 2007

Species/type Number (head)

Total cattle 23,316,942

Total swine 9,021,192

 Sows 1,070,716

Total sheep 7,305,578

 Ewes 1,886,856

 Sheep for wool 2,724,157

Total goats 4,124,201

 Does 1,140,297

 Milking goats 323,034

Total equine 2,143,934

 Horses 1,328,524

 Mules 234,009

 Donkeys 581,401

Total poultry 356,824,337

 Hen chickens 118,019,090

 Broilers 159,946,197

Source: 2007 Censo Agropecuario.
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Mexico’s beef industry has faced minimal competition from the crop production sector given the country’s limited availability of arable land. Traditionally, most beef was forage-fi nished and utilized forages from nonarable lands, 

and the feeds produced on cropland were mostly alfalfa and feed grains 

used for dairy, poultry, and swine production. In the last decade, a rapidly 

growing consumer preference for fed beef (animals are fed in feeding operations similar to U.S. feedlots and produce a higher-quality beef carcass) 

has resulted in increasing demand for feed grain and high-quality forage 

resources by the beef industry. This relatively new demand for cultivated 

feeds—combined with growth in dairy, pork, and poultry production—has 

intensifi ed the competition between food grains, feed grains, and forage 

production in Mexico’s crop production sector (Mejia and Peel, 2009). Amid 

the potential for rising feed costs, increased competition in the livestock 

sector, and continued changes in consumer demand for beef, improvements 

in cow-calf management and production practices may determine the strength 

of Mexico’s beef industry, as well as that of its cattle exports.
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Based on a complicated tenure system, Mexico’s land can generally be 

divided into two sectors: private and social. Private lands are what remain of 

the haciendas that existed at the beginning of the 20th century. Most of the 

ranches that form the commercial beef cattle industry are known as “pequeña 

propiedad,” or small land holdings. Nearly 80 million hectares, just under 40 

percent of Mexico’s arable land area, is considered private land. In 2007, over 

105 million hectares remained in the social sector, with about 32 percent, 

or 33.6 million hectares, in parcels and most of the remaining portion (69.3 

million hectares) in common land, or “ejidos” (INEGI). Although Article 27 

of the Mexican Constitution was modifi ed in 1992 to establish a process for 

adjudicating ejido land ownership rights so the land could be bought, sold, 

leased, or mortgaged, common lands still account for nearly 60 percent of the 

land used for livestock production in Mexico.7 

Historically, ejido lands have been managed differently than private lands 

and, in many cases, the ejido cattle production units are much smaller than 

the private ranches. Traditional ejido agricultural production has often 

focused on crop farming, with livestock production treated as a complementary or residual activity, resulting in less management intensity in livestock production compared with the private sector. In many instances across 

Mexico, ejido lands have been overutilized for livestock and forest production, deteriorating quality and productivity (Cartron, Ceballos, and Felger, 

2005). Ejido beef production is also often focused on subsistence production 

using crop residuals and byproducts as livestock feeds. 

The inability to sell or lease ejido land has greatly reduced the cost or opportunity cost for the use of grazing resources. The observed differences in 

productivity and economic costs make questions regarding the use, management, and productivity of these lands important for the overall potential 

of the beef industry. The distinction between ejido and private land may 

decrease over time, at least regarding productivity and costs of production, 

but only in regard to the parcelized ejido lands. The questions surrounding 

the disposition of the common ejido lands will continue to affect Mexican 

cattle production until the issues can be resolved. 

7 In reality, unoffi cial markets for 

ejido lands were used almost from the 

inception of the ejido system. Although 

not strictly legal, ejido parcels were 

often leased between ejiditarios and 

private producers. In the debate over 

the value of privatizing ejido lands, 

gains may be limited, in part, because 

unoffi cial uses and activities blurred 

the distinction between ejido and private land (Heath, 1992).

Land Ownership and Livestock Production
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Table 1 provides an overview of the inventory of livestock by species 

according to Mexico’s 2007 Census of Agriculture. The census reported 

23.3 million head of cattle in Mexico on some 1.13 million production units 

(farms and ranches), resulting in an overall average herd size of 21 head. 

Roughly a third of production units had fewer than 5 head of cattle, and no 

additional information was collected on these units. The remaining two-thirds 

of the production units had a total inventory of 22.1 million and an average 

herd size of 29 head. The total cow herd in Mexico was 8.7 million, of which 

37 percent were beef cows, 34 percent dairy cows, and 28 percent dualpurpose beef and dairy cows (table 2). 

The Mexican Cattle Industry: 

 By the Numbers

Table 2

Mexican cattle inventory, by class, age, breeding, 

and management system, 2007

Category Total (head)

Total 23,316,942

 <5 head/production unit1 1,207,313

Class

 Bulls 616,820

 Cows 8,671,516

 Dairy 2,966,117

 Beef 3,238,922

 Dual-purpose 2,466,477

 Feeders/on-feed/replacements 12,571,993

 Work (tracción) 249,300

Age

 <12 months 6,732,250

 1-2 years 4,296,529

 2-3 years 3,897,912

 >3 years 7,182,938

Breeding

 Corriente 3,712,561

 Cross-bred 12,210,003

 Purebred 6,187,065

 Registered 1,121,336

Management system

 Free range 12,885,647

 Controlled grazing 4,437,930

 Confi ned 3,083,930

 Semi-confi ned 1,702,534

1Production units reporting fewer than 5 head of cattle–representing 5.2 percent of the total 

cattle inventory—were not questioned about class, age, breeding, or management system. 

The remainder of the table is based on a total cattle inventory of 22,109,629 head.

Source: 2007 Censo Agropecuario.
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The census identifi ed cattle for three quality categories: “corriente,” crossbred, and purebred. Within the purebred category there was also a designation for registered purebred animals. Corriente, in this case, means typical or 

common and refers to animals of mixed breeding with unimproved genetics.8 

Corriente cattle vary by region in Mexico and may include Spanish genetics, 

but usually consist of various nondescript beef, dairy, and/or Zebu breed 

infl uences. Corriente cattle are typically designated as dual-purpose, but may 

include some beef cattle as well. Roughly 16 percent of Mexican cattle are 

classifi ed as corriente (table 2). Most of the 5.2 percent of (backyard) cattle 

not included in the classifi cation may also be corriente, making the overall 

total 20 percent or higher. Crossbred cattle account for 52 percent of all cattle 

in Mexico and include most of the dual-purpose cattle and some beef cattle. 

Crossbred breed types vary regionally: those in the northern States include 

British and Continental breeds, often with some Zebu infl uence, while in 

the central and tropical areas most are dual-purpose cattle that are crossbred 

dairy and Zebu breeds. Purebred animals represent 27 percent of the total 

cattle inventory, with nearly 5 percent of the total registered as purebred 

animals. This category includes most dairy animals and some beef animals. 

Purebred dairy animals are typically Holsteins, and the purebred beef animals 

include at least some representation of most beef breeds. 

Table 3 lists the top 10 States for total cattle inventory, total cow herd, 

beef cows, and dual-purpose cows, highlighting some important regional 

differences in cattle production in Mexico. Dual-purpose cows are located 

primarily in the south and central regions, plus coastal areas of the northwest. 

The top States for dual-purpose cows include Veracruz, Jalisco, Chiapas, 

Sinaloa, Guerrero, and Sonora. Beef cows are typically located in the north, 

including the States of Chihuahua, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, and 

Coahuila. Jalisco is the only major beef cow State in the central region. 

The Mexican cattle production system relies on open range, controlled 

grazing, confi ned production, and semi-confi ned production. Nationally, 55 

percent of all cattle are produced using open range (or open grazing) systems. 

Open grazing tends to be more important in the northern States and is associated with beef cattle production. Controlled grazing accounts for 19 percent 

of cattle production. Confi nement is used typically in dairy production and 

8 The terms criollo (native) and 

corriente (common) are often used 

interchangeably, and each may be used 

several different ways and have different meanings when applied to various 

situations. Cattle still exist throughout 

Mexico that descended from the Spanish cattle originally brought to Mexico 

in the 16th and 17th centuries. These 

cattle are properly called criollo or 

native cattle. In the Sierras of Chihuahua and Durango, for example, these 

cattle are the corriente or rodeo cattle 

that are exported to the United States. 

In the United States, Texas Longhorn 

cattle and Florida Cracker cattle are 

remnants of the same Spanish cattle 

genetics. In other cases, the term criollo may be applied to local cattle from 

indeterminate genetics, but generally 

imply cattle of mixed Zebu and dairy 

genetics. Thus, the defi nition of criollo 

cattle depends on the location. These 

cattle are invariably light muscled with 

low milking ability and low reproductive rates, but may range from small to 

large in frame size.

Table 3

Top 10 Mexican cattle producing States

 Total cattle Total cows1 Beef cows Dual-purpose cows

State Head State Head State Head State Head

Veracruz 2,454,171 Veracruz 1,040,769 Chihuahua 363,336 Veracruz 428,554

Jalisco 1,931,546 Jalisco 949,252 Sonora 289,573 Jalisco 252,820

Chihuahua 1,708,887 Chihuahua 625,987 Tamaulipas 243,742 Chiapas 175.188

Chiapas 1,406,419 Sonora 507,795 Jalisco 242,097 Sinaloa 162,435

Sonora 1,351,642 Chiapas 489,321 Nuevo Leon 223,850 Guerrero 149,208

Durango 1,232,525 Durango 459,491 Coahuila 221,001 Sonora 134,018

Tamaulipas 1,054,831 Sinaloa 400,235 Veracruz 204,944 Zacatecas 125,493

Michoacan 1,004,538 Coahuila 389,312 Durango 187,936 Durango 111,574

Sinaloa 964,712 Michoacan 345,208 Tabasco 140,069 Michoacan 109,589

Tabasco 957,761 Guerrero 341,934 Sinaloa 118,651 Oaxaca 97,820

1Includes specialized dairy cows.

Source: 2007 Censo Agropecuario; INEGI.
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beef feedlots, accounting for 13 percent of cattle production. Semi-confi nement is used for some dairy and dual-purpose production and accounts for 7 

percent of cattle production.

The reported age distribution of the 2007 cattle inventory includes 6.7 million 

head of cattle that are younger than 12 months of age. Using this number 

as an estimate of the calf crop and dividing it by 8.7 million cows suggests 

an average calf crop of 78 percent. This estimate may overstate the actual 

calf crop percentage if the calf inventory includes calves from heifers not 

included in the cow inventory. More importantly, the calf inventory also 

likely includes calves from cows that were not included in the cow inventory, such as “backyard” cattle or residual cattle kept by subsistence farmers. 

Adjusting the calf crop estimate to include some proportion (ranging from 50 

to 80 percent) of backyard cattle reduces the estimated calf-crop percentage 

to a range of 70 to 73 percent.9 Additionally, it is reasonable to assume a 

signifi cantly higher calf-crop percentage for dairy cattle, and a further adjustment using an assumed dairy calf-crop percentage provides an estimate of 

the nondairy (beef plus dual-purpose) calf crop percentage. For example, 

using an assumed 90 percent calf crop for dairy cattle (with the backyard 

cattle adjustment) results in an estimated nondairy calf-crop percentage of 

61 percent. The true nondairy calf-crop percentage is likely between 60 and 

67 percent as a national average. The average undoubtedly varies by region, 

ranging from as low as 50 percent in some regions to perhaps 75 percent 

in others.

Cattle Production Technology and Management

The 2007 census also provided information about the production practices 

and technology used in Mexican cattle production. Information was reported 

by cattle numbers and/or production unit. For example, 90 percent of all 

cattle (on 92 percent of production units) received vaccinations. Other cattle 

production practices of note include:

• 82 percent of all cattle (on 82 percent of production units) were treated 

for parasite control, mostly dipping vats (79 percent); 

• 28 percent of all cattle (on 25 percent of production units) were given a 

balanced ration; 

• 4.6 percent of all cattle (on 4.3 percent of production units) were impregnated via artifi cial insemination; and 

• 0.35 percent of all cattle (on 0.6 percent of all production units) were 

impregnated via embryo transfer. 

For production units only, the following information is provided: 

• 60 percent used salt/minerals; 

• 16 percent used a controlled breeding season; 

• 32 percent used pasture rotation; 

• 3.9 percent used technical assistance; and 

• 1.8 percent participated in the Federal genetic improvement program.10

9 For the last 10 years, the U.S. calf 

crop as a proportion of the January 1 

NASS cattle inventory has averaged 89 

percent.

10 Introduced in 2003, the Programa 

de Producción Pecuaria Sustentable 

y Ordenamiento Ganadero y Apícola 

(PROGAN) seeks to enhance productivity and technology adoption among 

livestock and apicultural producers. 

The program provides funding for herd 

and genetic improvements provided 

that cattle ranchers meet criteria for 

animal health standards and management practices.
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Three main commercial beef cattle production activities exist in Mexico: 

cattle for export, domestic beef production, and dual-purpose beef and dairy 

production. These categories ignore specialized milk production (dairies, 

mostly confi nement operations), purebred beef production, draft animals, 

and specialty activities, such as production of rodeo cattle and fi ghting bulls. 

These activities contribute meat to the beef industry secondary to their principal focus. 

Cattle for Export

Cattle for export (mostly to the United States) are produced mainly in 

the northern third of Mexico on larger ranches and increasingly are being 

marketed directly to U.S. buyers from the ranch. Cattle for export are 

primarily of British/Continental breeding, generally with no more than 

three-eighths Zebu infl uence. Historically, steers were exported to the United 

States, while heifers remained in Mexico to be sold into the domestic market 

either for meat production or as breeding stock. Recently, the increased feasibility and lower costs of spaying heifers are such that, when U.S. cattle prices 

are cyclically high, a substantial number of heifers are also being exported. 

All female cattle destined for stockering and feeding must be spayed before 

entering the United States.11 

Tamaulipas and Chihuahua has traditionally been the largest cattle-exporting 

State (table 4). Chihuahua and Coahuila together provide about 72 percent 

of total Mexican cattle exports to the United States. Export origins, however, 

have changed over time and can be disrupted by regional health status. For 

example, in previous years, the State of Durango accounted for roughly 15 

percent of Mexican cattle exports, but more recently has averaged less than 

2 percent due to health restrictions. When traditional export cattle sources are 

restricted, other regions make up some of the difference. Recently, exports 

have increased from northeastern Mexico, including Tamaulipas and northern 

Veracruz. Cattle from northeastern Mexico have generally been of somewhat lower quality than those from traditional exporting regions. However, 

11 Spaying heifers is the surgical 

removal of ovaries (ovariectomy), thus 

removing the primary source of estrogen and eliminating the ability of the 

heifer to reproduce. Spaying stocker 

and feeder heifers is a management 

tool that maintains them in an “open” 

state, preventing pregnancy in feedlots 

and the need to check for pregnancy.

Types of Beef Cow-Calf Production

Table 4

Major Mexican cattle-exporting States, 2006-2008

State Percent of total exports

Chihuahua 43.40

Tamaulipas 17.03

Coahuila 11.26

Sonora 6.95

Nuevo Leon 4.95

Zacatecas 4.38

Sinaloa 2.08

Durango 1.85

Campeche 1.06

Other States 7.04

Total 100.00

Source: INEGI, 2006-08.
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a general improvement in cattle quality in many regions has narrowed the 

differences in quality; as a result, more cattle are suitable for export now than 

in the past. 

Domestic Beef Production

Much of the beef production in the temperate and tropical areas of Mexico 

is destined for the domestic market. The pronounced differences between 

the domestic beef industry and the export industry arose partly for historical 

reasons and partly due to lack of proximity to the U.S. market. Mexican 

climate and management systems tend to favor a higher use of Zebu genetics, 

resulting in cattle less desirable to U.S. markets. Historically, calves from 

both beef and dual-purpose cattle systems were grown and fi nished on 

pasture, producing a traditional grass-fed beef. Today, many of those calves 

move into a semi-intensive or confi nement fi nishing system to produce fed 

beef for the domestic market. 

Dual-Purpose Production

As the name suggests, dual-purpose operations produce both beef and milk. 

One of the advantages of dual-purpose production is the ability to emphasize 

either beef or milk production, depending on prevailing market conditions. 

Most notably, in the temperate and tropical regions of Mexico, dual-purpose 

production is accomplished with crossbred Zebu and dairy-type cattle, traditionally Brown Swiss. For example, some producers maintain dual-purpose 

cows that are well adapted to the local environment, but use beef breeds to 

produce a beef-oriented terminal cross calf, or animal that will not be used 

for breeding purposes and genetic improvement. In contrast, Zebu cattle are 

crossed with Holstein or other dairy breeds for dual-purpose production when 

milk production is emphasized over beef production (fi g. 6). In some regions, 

formerly dual-purpose cattle producers are specializing more in either beef or 

dairy production.

Backyard Cattle Production

“Traspatio” or backyard animals are not a signifi cant component of the 

commercial beef cattle industry in Mexico, but they represent a sizable 

potential for improvement and increased production. The backyard sector 

complicates production for the domestic beef market because it is diffi cult 

to document how traspatio production contributes to total slaughter rates and 

rural beef consumption. It is useful, however, to consider the types of animals 

included in this group and their role. As previously noted, 1.2 million head 

of cattle (5.2 percent of the total cattle inventory in 2007) are in production 

units with fewer than 5 head. The census fi gures imply that these farms have 

an average of 3.2 head per production unit. Most of these cattle are part of 

family herds for subsistence farmers, and the majority of the cattle are kept 

for milk production or possibly as draft animals. In many cases, beef production is not the primary focus, and excess or cull animals are used for home 

consumption only occasionally.
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Backyard animals are not primarily used for meat production, chiefl y because 

beef animals require large amounts of feed resources and a rather lengthy 

time to mature before slaughter. Subsistence farmers are likely unable to use 

beef carcasses for family meat supplies as refrigeration is often unavailable. 

Such families often rely on smaller livestock species (sheep, goats, swine, 

and poultry) for meat. Thus, a substantial proportion of backyard cattle are 

likely females and the calves produced are sold as calves.

States with the highest proportion of backyard production animals that were 

excluded from the census include some States with relatively few animals, 

such as Tlaxcala and the Federal District (Mexico City). Several other States, 

however, including Mexico, Oaxaca, and Veracruz, have signifi cant numbers 

of backyard cattle. 

Figure 6

Source: Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University.

Dual-purpose cow raised for domestic meat/milk production in Veracruz
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Based on management and product considerations, four Mexican cow-calf 

production systems can be defi ned and profi led: VacaNorte, semi-intensive, 

traditional, and Criollo. Production occurs in a continuum of systems, but 

these classifi cations generally cover the range and principal differences in 

types of production. Table 5 compares the production characteristics of each 

system. The different classes of production are not explicitly tied to regions 

or climates, and all are found to varying extents in all locations. However, 

some production classes tend to be heavily associated with particular 

geographic regions.

Cow-Calf Production Systems

Table 5

Characteristics of Mexican cow-calf production systems

 VacaNorte Semi-intensive Traditional Criollo

Cow mature weight 450 kg 435 kg 415 kg 400 kg

Milking ability Medium/high Medium Medium/low Low

Weaning weight: 

 Steers 180 kg 160 kg 140 kg 120 kg

 Heifers 162 kg 144 kg 126 kg 108 kg

Average weight 171 kg 152 kg 133 kg 114 kg

Calving (percent)1 70-80 60-70 50-60 40-55

Calf death loss (percent)2 4 5 8 10

Weaning (percent)3 71 61 47 35

Culling (percent)4 10 10 8 7

Frame size5 Medium/large Medium/large Variable Variable

Muscle thickness6 No. 1 – 1 1⁄2 No. 1 1⁄2 – 2 No. 2 1⁄2 – 3 No. 3 – 4 

Genetics High Medium/high Medium Low

Health management7 High Medium/high Medium/low Low

Supplementation8 Good Medium Salt/minerals only Salt/none

Pasture management Good Good/medium None None

kg=Kilograms.

1The percentage of calves born to cows bred with or exposed to breeding bulls.

2

The percentage of calves stillborn or that die before weaning.

3The percentage of calf crop weaned from the total number of cows bred or exposed, representing a cumulative measure of breeding, calving, 

and reproductive effi ciency in the herd. 

4The percentage of cows removed from the herd due to death, infertility, low productivity, and advanced age. 

5Indicates the size of the animal’s skeletal structure and has implications for nutrient requirements, reproduction, and other characteristics of 

animal performance. 

6The ratio of muscle to bone at a given degree of fatness. Four muscle thickness grades are currently used (No. 1, No. 2, 

No. 3, and No. 4), from thickest to thinnest, respectively.

7Refers to management practices recommended to aid in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases and in parasite control. 

8Refers to protein, energy, and/or mineral supplements; the recommended management practice can vary according to production system and 

forage considerations. 

Source: Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University.
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 Calves for export to the United States are a principal output of “VacaNorte” production system. Products include No. 1 calves (generally British or 

Continental crossbred animals with less than three-eighths Zebu infl uence) 

and No. 11⁄2 calves (British or Continental cross with up to one-half Zebu 

infl uence). As the name suggests, this system tends to be used mostly in the 

arid/semiarid northern part of Mexico, but it can also be used throughout the 

temperate part of Mexico. Application of the system in the tropics is limited. 

Use of improved genetics (with much British/Continental infl uence) results in 

good reproductive rates and increased weaning weights, both of which result 

in the highest average productivity per cow among all four systems (see table 

5). The larger body size and milking ability of a cow means increased nutritional requirements and cattle that are maintained in better body condition 

year round. Productivity in this system is relatively high, but management 

requirements are also high. Increased productivity is accomplished with 

better grazing management, improved/irrigated pastures, and supplemental 

feeds. Productivity drops quickly in the nutritionally defi cient tropical environments, except in cases of very intensive (and expensive) management. 

Heat-related challenges in the tropical regions requires the introduction of 

Zebu genetics, limiting the use of this system for export production in 

tropical regions. 

A “semi-intensive” production system differs from VacaNorte principally 

because of differences in the fi nal product. Oriented to dual-purpose production or beef production for the domestic market, this system uses more Zebu 

breeds than the VacaNorte. Calves from this system are generally No. 2 in 

muscle (less muscle than VacaNorte) and medium to large in frame size. 

In general, however, this system requires the same level of management as 

the VacaNorte system, with regard to improved genetics and better health 

and nutritional management. This system results in slightly larger cattle 

(compared with traditional production systems) and improved reproductive 

performance. Overall productivity is less than for VacaNorte systems because 

of smaller animal size, lighter muscling, and slightly lower reproductive 

rates. Recently, the increased use of terminal cross beef breeds has created a 

more heavily muscled calf for domestic markets or for export. 

The “traditional” cow-calf system produces a lower quality product than the 

semi-intensive system, as seen in the slightly lighter muscling and smaller 

frame size. The principal difference between traditional and semi-intensive 

production is the level of management. Traditional production is characterized by a wide range of production activities and low levels of health and 

nutrition management. Productivity is substantially lower in the traditional 

system than in semi-intensive, but so too are production costs, with limited 

use of purchased inputs, especially supplemental feed. The traditional system 

relies less on genetic improvement and is based on local or regional genetics.

Beef-only and dual-purpose production throughout Mexico may be either 

semi-intensive or traditional. Depending on the location and resources 

available, both systems may make considerable use of crop residues and 

byproduct feeds. In the traditional production system, crop residues (usually 

from contiguous farming activities) are the primary means by which cattle 

survive the annual dry season. These residues are often very low quality 

and, without additional (purchased) feed supplements, productivity will be 

low because the animal’s body condition deteriorates sharply when seasonal 
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forage supplies are limited. In semi-intensive production, crop residues are an 

effective means of lowering the cost of production by serving as a less expensive supplemental feed. Byproduct feeds—including sugarcane bagasse, 

citrus pulp and waste, brewer’s grains, and discarded food products (tortillas, bread, snack chips, etc.)—have been used for many years by cow-calf 

producers and even more so by the feedlot industry in Mexico. Use 

of byproduct feeds varies regionally and seasonally, and by type of 

production system. 

“Criollo” production encompasses a wide variety of cattle and activities, but 

the most critical economic characteristics of this category are low productivity, low management, and low costs of production. With the exception of 

the rodeo cattle produced in the north, products of this sector are low value or 

are completely outside the commercial market, with an emphasis on family 

milk production and draft use. Only occasionally do cull animals provide 

meat for home consumption. In many cases, Criollo production occurs where 

crop farming is the primary enterprise. Cattle may be fed a high proportion of 

crop residues and very little pasture.
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Cattle marketing practices vary by region and type of production system; 

however, marketing institutions for live cattle in Mexico are minimal. There 

is relatively little public reporting of stocker and feeder cattle prices, although 

there is a national system for reporting slaughter animal and carcass prices. 

Most stocker and feeder cattle are marketed in some form of direct purchase 

between buyer and seller, although the primary producer often sells to an 

intermediary, who is either a speculative trader or a buyer’s representative. 

Most transactions are on cash (or spot) markets with limited use of forward 

contracts or other marketing arrangements. Price discovery mechanisms 

are generally informal and producers often sell with little knowledge of 

prevailing market conditions. 

In traditional production systems where cattle are fi nished on pasture, cattle 

may be sold only at slaughter or perhaps when the cow-calf producer sells 

to a local producer to stocker/fi nish on pasture. In some cases, mostly in the 

temperate and tropical regions, cattle from larger ranches may be shipped 

to urban centers for slaughter or to a local buyer who will assemble loads 

from small producers for shipment to the urban center. Cattle may also be 

sold directly to a local slaughterhouse, often one or two at a time. As more 

slaughter facilities are established in more regions, cattle can be sold and 

slaughtered locally or regionally and moved to major metropolitan markets as 

chilled carcasses rather than as live animals.

In the principal cattle-exporting regions of the north, cattle for export may 

be shipped to the border and sold to traders there. Increasingly, large ranches 

with good quality cattle are selling through U.S. video auctions or directly 

to stocker or feedlot buyers in the United States. Although not common in 

most of Mexico, cattle auctions are used in the north, with weekly sales in 

Chihuahua, Durango, and Hermosillo. Since a high proportion of Mexico’s 

northern cattle that are not exported are fed in feedlots, cattle are increasingly assembled and then shipped long distances from the north by local 

buyer representatives. In many instances, one or more intermediaries may 

be involved in such transactions. In some cases, local cattlemen’s union 

facilities may serve as buying stations where producers can bring cattle to be 

bought by buyer representatives or traders. 

Recent dramatic changes in consumer preferences have led to a substantial 

growth in cattle feeding in confi nement and semi-intensive fi nishing systems 

using concentrate feeds. An increasing percentage of cattle are transported 

from southern Mexico to feedlots in northern or central Mexico, increasing 

shipping distances and costs related to stress on cattle. This trend suggests 

that there will be increased demand for assembly, transportation, and 

transfer-of-ownership functions in the marketing system. 

Cattle Marketing Systems and U.S. Exports
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The Mexican beef industry has been evolving rapidly over the last two 

decades, primarily as a result of changing consumer dietary preferences 

and global market impacts. In the 1990s, prolonged drought, coupled with 

the 1994 peso devaluation and subsequent limitations on capital access, 

led to Mexican herd liquidation. Cyclically high U.S. cattle prices through 

much of the next decade resulted in exports of feeder cattle at unsustainable 

rates. Simultaneously, changing consumer preferences in Mexico resulted 

in increased demand for beef and changes in the type and quality of meat 

produced, as well as changes in how it is marketed. Growing beef demand 

and changing consumer preferences for beef will most likely continue to 

result in a general increase in beef production in Mexico, especially with 

respect to cattle in feedlots. 

The Mexican beef industry will also face tremendous challenges from both 

domestic and international competitors. Other domestic livestock industries offer consumers alternative products and compete with beef producers 

for feed and forage resources. International fi rms likewise compete against 

domestic producers for inputs (feed and cattle) and meat. Although beef 

demand (specifi cally, demand for fed beef) has increased signifi cantly in 

recent years, demand for pork and poultry has also increased. The increased 

demand for feed grains in cattle-feeding operations, along with growth in 

other livestock sectors and increased competition between food and feed 

grains, could result in higher grain prices and more marketing outlets. 

Such changes have signifi cant implications for cow-calf producers and on 

overall resource use and production potential in the industry. The increase in 

total livestock production means greater competition with other types of food 

and fi ber production for limited agricultural resources in the country. This 

competition will become an increasingly critical factor as the beef industry 

adopts more intensive production systems to produce fed beef. 

Opportunities for improvement in Mexican cattle production, specifi cally 

the cow-calf phase, are evident. The adoption of basic animal production 

and management techniques would greatly improve production effi ciencies 

and the quality of cattle produced, and help to position the Mexican beef 

industry for the coming decades. The greatest potential for improvement 

and increased competitiveness in Mexican beef production, however, may lie 

in improving cattle marketing channels and infrastructure, factors certain to 

foster effi ciency in Mexican cow-calf production techniques. 

Outlook
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Cartron, Jean-Luc E., Gerardo Ceballos, and Richard Stephen Felger (eds.). 

Biodiversity, Ecosystems, and Conservation in Northern Mexico, New 

York: Oxford University Press, 2005.

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization). “Country Pasture/Forage 

Resource Profi le: Mexico,” Country Pasture Profi les, 2005, http://www.

fao.org/ag/AGP/agpc/doc/pasture/forage.htm.

Heath, John Richard. “Evaluating the Impact of Mexico’s Land Reform on 

Agricultural Productivity,” World Development 20(5): pp. 695-711, 1992.

INEGI (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía). Censo Agropecuario, 

2007, www.inegi.org.mx. 

Mejia, Maria, and Derrell S. Peel. “White Corn and Yellow Corn Production 

in Mexico: Food versus Feed?” Analysis and Comments (June 25, 2009, 

Letter #25), Livestock Marketing Information Center, Denver, Colorado, 

2009.

References