Mexico City, Mexico – Mexico exported 210,325 tons of meat worth $937 million in 2011, up from the 149,136 tons exported the previous year, an increase of 41 percent.

These results were a direct reflection of the growth in sales to Japan, Angola, Benin, Ghana, Kazakhstan and Nigeria, according to Mexico's Agriculture Secretariat.

The secretariat said in a statement that the improvement in exports was due "to the joint efforts of producers and the federal and state governments to maintain the health status that sets Mexico apart."

Meat exports came from 19 of the 32 Mexican states, led by Sonora, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Yucatan, Jalisco, Baja California, and Nuevo Leon. The health conditions of these states have been fully certified by the authorities.

According to the secretariat, Mexico exports meat and by-products to 33 countries in the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia, with the leading markets being Japan, the United States, Russia, and South Korea.

Japan became the top buyer of Mexican meat in 2011 importing 78,292 tons, followed by the United States with 66,463 tons, Russia with 28,541 tons, and South Korea with 16,217 tons, the secretariat stated.

Beef exports totaled $532 million, poultry exports totaled $16 million, pork sales totaled $323 million, sales of other types of meat totaled $34 million, and sales of meat by-products totaled $32 million.