MEXICO CITY — After several days of road blockades,
protests, and tension in various agricultural regions of the country, the
Mexican government reached a partial agreement early Wednesday morning with
corn producer organizations in the states of Guanajuato, Jalisco, and
Michoacán, although the conflict persists in much of the national territory.
The Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER),
Julio Berdegué Sacristán, reported that the agreement establishes a subsidy of
950 pesos per ton of white corn, a benefit that will reach approximately 90,000
farmers in the Bajío region, one of the country's most important corn-producing
areas.
"This agreement represents a significant step toward
addressing the demands of the agricultural sector and ensuring that producers
receive fair compensation for their work," Berdegué stated at the end of
the meeting with agricultural leaders.
The agreement was signed with the support of the state
governments of Guanajuato, Jalisco, and Michoacán, after intense negotiations
that lasted more than 72 hours. However, the agreement only addresses part of
the national problem, as producers in at least ten other states remain
mobilized, awaiting a response from the federal government.
Among the states where the conflict continues are Sinaloa,
Zacatecas, Chihuahua, Veracruz, Durango, Tamaulipas, and Nayarit, where farmers
are maintaining intermittent blockades of highways and distribution centers,
demanding that the same support program be extended nationwide.
The protesters claim that low corn prices and increased
production costs have led them to an unsustainable situation, while also
denouncing a lack of clarity in the guaranteed price policy and the
government's slow response.
Peasant organizations warned that if a comprehensive
agreement is not reached in the coming days, the mobilizations could move to
Mexico City, with protests in front of federal agencies and the National
Palace.
“The Bajío agreement doesn't resolve the corn crisis.
Thousands of producers in the north and south of the country are still waiting
for the government to listen to us,” declared one of the agricultural leaders
from Sinaloa.
Agricultural sector analysts pointed out that the current
crisis reflects a structural imbalance in the corn market, where international
prices, inflation, and competition from imported grains have severely impacted
domestic producers.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
(SADER) assured that it will continue dialogue with state and national
representatives of farmers to prevent an escalation of the conflict.
“Our commitment is to guarantee that no producer is left out
of the support, but also to maintain market stability and public finances,”
Berdegué emphasized.
Although the Bajío agreement represents a momentary respite,
tension persists in the Mexican countryside, which remains on edge due to the
possibility of new mobilizations if a nationwide solution is not reached.