(G20 Summit) Interview: Mexico, China have potential to boost agricultural cooperation

Mexico and China have an opportunity to take a big step forward in agricultural cooperation during a G20 summit to be held in the Chinese city of Hangzhou in September, economist Anibal Zottele said on Thursday.

While Mexico has increased exports to China in the past two years, there was a lack of fruits and other agricultural produce in Mexico's export basket to the Asian giant, Zottele told Xinhua.

Right agreements could see more Mexican agricultural products enter the Chinese market, said Zottele, who runs the China-Veracruz Studies Center at Veracruz University.

"This meeting must help to advance micro-economic matters as all is well at the macro level. We are in a comprehensive strategic partnership, we have the right commercial and political protocols," he added. "However, a lot can still be done to help small Mexican agricultural businesses."

According to the federal government, Mexican agricultural exports to China rose to 150 million U.S. dollars in 2015 and is expected to rise to around 300 million dollars in 2016.

Currently, most of these exports are made up of avocados, seafood and cotton, although tequila is beginning to be in demand in China while agreements for the export of white maize, dairy and meats were inked last year.

Zottele believes that Mexican farmers can greatly benefit from the Chinese market as the country's growing middle class is always seeking more high-quality products, such as Mexican coffee.

"We have to export quality to China. Mexico cannot rely on exporting quantity alone since I am not certain Mexico's entire pork production could meet Chinese demand," he said. Endit