The disappearance of price hedging programs and contract farming has created a “very serious crisis” for corn, wheat and sorghum producers, and if 2 billion pesos were allocated for these operations, 20 thousand millions are now needed. There is zero support from the government and the current crop prices are below the cost of production, said Juan Cortina, president of the National Council of Agriculture (CNA).
He said that the experience that existed had been taken away and it was thought that the prices would remain high, as has been the case during the last four years, but the price of corn, which is quoted internationally and in dollars, has gone down and affects the producers also. exchange rate, causing them to lose about a thousand pesos per ton.
During the presentation of the book Our Field, The CNA and the Agri-Food Evolution of Mexico, he said that it was known that budgetary changes and withdrawal of all support for the Ministry of Agriculture would cause problems in the sector and was not reflected because such There were factors that pushed the prices to historic levels.
“Now we are entering a scenario where the primary sector is in a position in which they are unable to recover the cost of the crops. If we had price coverage programmes, the prices could have leveled off and we would be in a different situation. Would have been.” position that has already been presented. Pure.
All corn consumers are in an open market of global competition, he said, adding, “How is the livestock sector that produces 77 percent of corn going to compete with producers in the United States if the raw material is more expensive. It’s a problem that the government But they didn’t understand it. It’s not just Sinaloa, it’s Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua and Tamaulipas, they’re producers of corn, wheat and sorghum.
He added that the CNA lays out a ten-year plan and requires public policy, “Farmers should not be put off by tools, such as glyphosate or the use of the latest generation, more productive seeds, science should be used.” and Technology”.
He said that Mexico would never be able to produce the grain it consumes, it does not have large tracts of land and water, and the livestock sector would import 18 million tons this year.
