The secretary of the National Chamber of the Masa and Tortilla Production Industry, Martín Martínez Destunis, ruled out an increase in the price of tortillas so far this year, despite increases in the cost of some inputs.
He assured that business owners are committed to maintaining an average price of 24 pesos in the state, as part of the commitments established under the Federal Government’s National Corn-Tortilla Agreement. “We are trying to avoid an increase, and I think we will achieve it,” he commented.
According to him, this commitment applies at both the state and national levels, seeking to ensure that all families can afford this food, which is part of the basic food basket, even as businesses report increases in fuel costs, tax and labor expenses, among other charges.
He indicated that, as part of the commitments under the national agreement, the goal is not only to maintain the price but also to pay corn producers better. However, only around 2,300 tortilla shops nationwide have joined so far, out of more than 130,000 that are operating.
According to the latest data from the Federal Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development, there were fewer than 40 affiliated tortilla shops in the state, out of more than 8,000 formally registered businesses.
Martín Martínez Destunis acknowledged that very few businesses have joined the National Agreement so far because they fear that prices could be restricted if it becomes necessary to modify them due to constant increases in raw material costs.
“But this is not the case; this is a stabilization agreement… what we are going to commit to is increasing [the price] only by the amount that represents that cost,” assured the representative of the National Chamber of the Masa and Tortilla Production Industry.
Source: lajornadahidalgo
