Mexico's National Service for Agrifood Health, Safety and Quality (Senasica) launched a comprehensive audit of Paraguay's veterinary system on Monday, a key step in negotiations to open the Mexican market to Paraguayan beef.
The evaluation, which runs through May 26, 2026, aims to verify the equivalence of the two countries' sanitary control systems. The initial meeting was attended by Primo Feltes, director-general of Technical Services and acting president of the National Animal Health and Quality Service (Senacsa), along with directors and technicians from the official veterinary service and the audit team from the Directorate-General for Agrifood, Aquaculture and Fisheries Safety (DGIAAP), which is part of Senasica.
During the eight-day inspection, the Mexican auditors will visit the veterinary service's central laboratory and ten export-approved packing plants. Control procedures, inspection, sanitary certification, and compliance with international quality standards will be reviewed.
Mexico's eventual approval would be a strategic advance for Paraguay's livestock sector, enabling it to diversify export destinations and reduce dependence on traditional markets. Beef is one of the country's main foreign-exchange earners.
The audit's central objective is to determine whether Paraguay's official veterinary control system is equivalent to Mexico's in biosecurity, food safety, sanitary surveillance, and capacity to respond to animal-health risks.