The travels of former Donald resident, Mary Raynes, have so far also included meetings in Puebla with Heineken and Central Altiplano Maltería, Mexico.
For anyone not in the know, Mexico isn’t just about tacos and tequila, it’s a beer giant!
In fact, it’s the world’s largest beer exporter, pouring out more than 6 billion USD in sales last year.
Nearly three-quarters of what goes into that frothy glass is sourced locally, but when it comes to malting barley, imports are still crucial; around 400,000-500,000 tonnes a year.
Australia has been right in the brew of it, supplying on average 61 per cent, up to 85 per cent of Mexico’s total malting barley imports. With that kind of scale and influence, it’s no wonder Mexico is such an important market for Australian barley.
Mexico is buying high quality, single malting barley varieties only; this market is of importance to the Australian barley grower for market diversity.
Of course, Australia isn’t the only player meeting with Mexico’s barley, malting, brewing, and beer representatives. Canada and the United States play the long game, sending delegations at least three to four times a year to strengthen ties with local brewers and maltsters. They also enjoy a home-ground advantage through the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), the successor to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which streamlines regional trade.
With the investment from Grains Australia, Mary is able to lead the technical market engagement for Australian barley into Mexico.
This article appeared in The Buloke Times, 26 August 2025.
