Independent coffee growers from the Otomí-Tepehua region of Hidalgo denounced the abandonment of the sector in recent years.
Producers also pointed out that climate change has affected coffee production and increased economic losses.
Israel García López, a coffee grower from Huehuetla, stated that producers are facing systematic neglect. He explained that coffee growers must maintain their crops under increasingly difficult economic conditions.
Likewise, he noted that weather conditions have also reduced production. He said that although coffee plants are more resistant than other species, they are facing increasingly extreme weather seasons.
The producer explained that heavy rainfall can cause the loss of plants and damage crops. He also pointed out that drought seasons generate significant losses for producers in the region.
These problems are compounded by the difficulty of competing with large companies dedicated to coffee production and commercialization.
Producers Denounce Lack of Support for the Sector
Mario Alberto Guzmán Anaya, a producer from San Bartolo Tutotepec, agreed that coffee growers in Hidalgo face structural inequalities.
In this regard, he stated that this situation has affected the sector for several years. He also said that, at the federal level, social programs aimed at people involved in coffee production have disappeared.
He also considered that the lack of support has caused some producers to abandon the activity.
He said that the economic losses accumulated in recent years have also made it difficult for coffee growers to remain in the industry.
The producer added that economic and climatic conditions have reduced the productive capacity of the region.
He asserted that the situation has affected the position of the Otomí-Tepehua region as one of Hidalgo’s main coffee-producing areas.
Hidalgo, One of the Main Coffee Producers
According to data from the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader), Hidalgo is among the country’s leading coffee-producing states. Production is concentrated in different regions of the state.
Among the municipalities with the strongest coffee-growing activity are San Bartolo Tutotepec, Lolotla, Tenango, Huejutla, and Huehuetla.
Pisaflores, Tepehuacán, Chapulhuacán, La Misión, Tlahuelilpan, Molango, and Tianguistengo also stand out.
The activity is also carried out in Zacualtipán and Agua Blanca. Hidalgo produces more than 30,000 tons of coffee annually. In addition, more than 30,000 people are engaged in this activity across 22 municipalities in the state.
Source: hidalgo.preiodicocentral
