Market network of bovine for slaughter in Mexico, 2017-2021

Social network analysis (SNA) offers an alternative way to analyze markets. SNA allows to estimate density and centrality measures in order to analyze the structure of the flow from origin to destination of a market. This research describes the economic structure of the domestic market of cattle to be slaughter for consumption in Mexico from 2017 to 2021. The market structure was analyzed with measures of spatial location, economic specialization, density, and network centrality. On average, 4.7 million cattle were mobilized annually for slaughter in Mexico, 302 daily mobilization permits were required and 42.7 heads were considered per permit. The relative specialization of the market was considered low, higher for the demand, but not different from the supply (p>0.05). The market was characterized by intrastate trade, low network density, low centrality of entry, low centrality of exit, and high specialization of markets by municipalities. As a result, the national market for beef slaughter has low specialization, and high diversification and homophily.