Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-28
FooDsTUFFs IR MEXICO.
Report on Supply Of Breadstuffs,
Meats and Dairy Products.

In answer to inquiries from the United
States relative to Mexico's meat and dairy
product supplies, Consul James A. LIE Roy
Of Durango furnishes the following report:
While the mass of the people of Mexico
subsist primarily on tortillas (corn cake)
and beans, 1t Is significant that, in the
larger centers of population, wherever the
workmen are getting higher wages. az a
result of the establishment Of new indus
tries, they buy fresh meat and flock to the
bakeries for wheaton bread Indeed, the
increased consumption of wheat IL one OF
the signs of the times in Mexico. 1t has
become an article Of necessity with fami-
lies in moderate circumstances, as 1t al
ways has been with the people OF wealth.
and these two classes are also great con-
sumers Of meat. 1t may be put down as
rule that while Mexico IL still q country
dependent primarily upon corn and beans.
all Mexicans who can AFFORD to do so daily
eat a large amount OF meat
1t cannot be expected that there will b
any market for fresh meats from the
United States, as cattle raising ID q pursuit.
that is followed in nearly all parts Of
Mexican the net kilo (about 2A cents In
United States currency per pound avoirdue
pois) on fresh meat. In the capital and
In some Of the other cities there are small
butcher shops, first started to cater to tho
trade Of American residents. which have
facilities for keeping meat several days Of
ice. The industry Of refrigerating beef, a.
1t is known in the United States. 10 practi-
cally unknown In Mexico. Lately It has
been said that one firm would attempt 1t in
Mexico City; but there will be no shipping
Of refrigerated beef into Mexico while
freight rates remain as high az they are
or until the taste of nearly all the meat
eaters is educated not to demand meat
just killed.
There cannot, under present conditions, be
a great market for canned meats In Mex-
leo. Their price puts them wholly out OF
the reach Of the masses of the people, even
II they ever considered their purchase.
Fresh meat Is still luxury with them,
and they live In a grazing country. Pork,
far more than beef or mutton is the poor
mans meat in Mexico, though this IL more
than in others. Lard is local product
everywhere. on a small or large scale. and
forms one Of the items most actively bar
tered in the town markets. 1t 10 used by
all classes in everyday cooking and In
the preparation of very large proportion
Of their dishes, yet lard Is imported from
the United States in considerable quantity.
Mexico cannot be called a butter-consum-
ing country. as bread is commonly eaten
without butter. Lard is its substitute to a
great extent, where 1t has a substitute.
Nevertheless the use Of butter Ii increasing
among Mexicans themselves, and the fore
eiRn population, especially the Americana,
constitute growing demand for butter that
does not seem to be met by the starting
of small dairy farms near cities, mining
camps, etc. More than three-fourths OF
the butter imported comes from the United
States, Spain and Denmark supplying
nearly all the remainder. 1t Is imported
mainly in cans, but the Importation OF
fresh butter in rolls from the dairtes In the
lower Mississippi valley region has been
steadily increasing The imports Of Ameri-
can cheese and milk show constant gains.
but in the nature of things the market for
these products cannot greatly increase.