Domestic sugar production will fall 11.3 percent to 4.3 million tons this year, its lowest level in at least the past 10 years, said Juan Cortina, president of the National Agricultural Council (CNA).
In an interview with El Sol de México he explained that this is mainly due to the lack of rain in the Huasteca Potosina region.
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“It is difficult to know exactly how many hectares were affected by the lack of rain. What I can say is that we observed a significant drop in the yields of the sugar sector, mainly in Las Huastecas,” said the head of the Council.
According to CNA data, the 2023 sugar harvest yield was 5.3 million tons, while this year’s harvest is estimated to close at 4.7 million tons.
Cortina said that two years ago, Mexico had a sugar yield of six million tons, but since 2022, it has been steadily declining due to a lack of rainfall.
“There are no sugar supply problems in Mexico, since consumption is four million tons and we produce more. However, the fall affects sugarcane growers and the industry with less income due to lower production,” he added.
Another production that will have low yields this year will be grains and seeds, which largely depend on the rainy season.
Cortina explained that it is urgent to invest in technologies that allow optimizing the use of water, especially for the agricultural sector, which uses 75 percent of the total water.
Regarding the next Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, Julio Berdegué, the ANC leader expressed confidence that the requests to regularize agricultural laborers, facilitate access to credit, address water scarcity and modernize the countryside will be met.
“We have been working with him (Julio Berdegué) for six months. He is a person who listens, and although we will not necessarily agree on everything, we will be able to build together,” he said.
The organization urged the next government to implement a strategy to address the natural phenomena that have affected agricultural production and to take advantage of the south-southeast.
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“We must prepare for the autumn-winter cycle. Given the climate situation and the lack of financing, it is necessary to have support to continue food production.
Regarding the panel on genetically modified corn, Cortina said he was confident that it would be resolved by the end of the year, putting an end to the dispute between Mexico and the United States. “Genetically modified corn has been used for more than 25 years throughout the world and there is no scientific evidence of any harm.”
2024-06-28 11:00:00
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