“This is going to have an irreversible economic impact,” said Eraclio Rodríguez, a Chihuahua corn farmer with the National Front for the Rescue of the Mexican Field. “We don’t have the opportunity to market them (the grains) because the costs are excessively high compared to very cheap prices.”
In a direct petition to President López Obrador, the producers called for immediate intervention to fix the price of corn at 7,000 pesos per ton, wheat at 8,000 pesos per ton, and sorghum at 6,500 pesos per ton.
They also warned that without government support, food prices in Mexico could skyrocket at the same time that they included in their request the reestablishment of credit programs and more sectoral investments, such as hydraulic infrastructure projects for irrigation.
International grain futures contracts have fallen in the past year. The most active corn contract on the Chicago Stock Exchange closed Monday at $5.97 and a half, 19.5% less than last year at this time. Wheat closed at $6.24 a bushel, down nearly 43% over the same period.
The government provides some support to farmers, including a free fertilizer program for small-scale growers, but some industry experts said it’s not enough.
“Mexican farmers are at a disadvantage with US imports, as Washington provides huge subsidies to US farmers,” said Raúl Urteaga, founder of the consulting group Global Agrotrade Advisors. “If we really want to make progress on food security, we need more government help.”
A federal government spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.
