Farmers from San Luis Río Colorado met with Sonora’s Secretary of Agriculture, Célida López Cárdenas, who informed them about Governor Alfonso Durazo’s efforts to resolve the issue of the highway blockades.
During the meeting, the commitment made to the farmers regarding wheat payments, to be made in the first half of December, was announced. The state government is committed to advancing these payments.
“They will be paid; we have agreements in place. We obviously respect the protests of all those farmers, but what is happening in Baja California and Sinaloa follows a different dynamic, a different logic. The fact that we in Sonora have this support from our farmers is because Governor Alfonso Durazo is a man of his word, a great facilitator,” the official told the media.
He explained that in the case of Nogales, the producers who have been protesting are from Sinaloa, not Sonora, and that he respects their opinions and appreciates the consideration they have shown to the maquiladora industry.
Regarding the municipality of Sonoyta, where the customs office was blocked, he clarified that it was not wheat farmers, but rather a matter of disagreements with the National Water Law. He added that they will meet to address any questions or concerns.
For his part, engineer Ricardo Martínez Parra, president of the Wheat Production System, stated that they will refrain from protests, giving the governor of Sonora a vote of confidence.
“We have a commitment that the governor made to us. We are honoring it and are simply waiting to be paid what was agreed upon by the federal government—I want to be clear, by the federal government, not the state government. So, if he is asking us to stand with him to avoid harming third parties, because that is what he asked of us, since he is working, then we will grant him this benefit,” he commented.
Farmers’ leaders go to the Senate; warn to maintain blockades due to lack of agreement
Farmers’ leaders warned that they will not lift the blockades at at least 40 highway points across the country, asserting that there is no agreement with the federal government, which has conditioned the signing of the agreement on their involvement. They also accused the Secretary of Agriculture of misleading President Claudia Sheinbaum about the situation of Mexican agriculture.
“Yesterday, during our meeting, we spent over 10 years at the Ministry of the Interior, and at no point did the Secretary of Agriculture speak or make any statement. In fact, he didn’t speak at all, he said absolutely nothing. It is the Secretary of Agriculture who should be providing the President with information about what is happening in the countryside,” stated Horacio Gómez, a farmers’ leader from the Mexicali Valley.
Led by Baltazar Valdés and Horacio Gómez, farmers’ leaders attempted to approach the Secretary of Welfare, Ariadna Montiel, after her appearance before the Senate; however, parliamentary security personnel prevented them from speaking with her. The farmers’ leaders attended at the invitation of opposition legislators.
Oaxaca, Ninth Largest Corn-Producing State in Mexico
The head of the Oaxaca State Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sefader), Victor Lopez Leyva, highlighted that, according to UNESCO, the oldest prehistoric remains of corn were found 10,000 years ago in caves in the town of Mitla. Traces of 36 of the main corn varieties have been found there.
Currently, Oaxaca is planting more than 1.2 million hectares, achieving a record harvest of 800,000 tons, with the potential to reach 900,000 tons this year. This would be enough to feed the entire population of the state’s 570 municipalities. Per capita corn consumption in Oaxaca is 192 kilograms.
This yield was achieved with improved seeds and germplasm banks, and the favorable weather broke the prolonged drought that had been affecting agricultural production.
He explained that, along with the increased corn yield, 26 production chains were reactivated, including those for hibiscus, honey, papaya, and mezcal.
In addition, the number of people living in rural areas with food insecurity was reduced in 245 municipalities, according to figures from the latest INEGI census.
Source: milenio
