Mexico’s drought and desertification are causing prices of some foodstuffs, including beans, sugar and corn, to rise, as agricultural products that have become more expensive in recent months and are likely to represent vital supplies in the future.
The Mexican TV channel Telediario said on its website that the bean harvest this year has decreased by 50%, which represents an accumulated loss of 10% of the national gross domestic product in the past decade.according to cuautimoc Rivera, president of the National Alliance of small traders (ANPEC), the country has so far this year witnessed a 17.67% increase in bean prices; corn, the increase in price reached 40.63%; sugar 17%.
He added that consumers in general are upset with food price inflation, which exceeds 9%, although overall inflation has decreased, food price inflation is twice the general rate.
In the case of the state of Mexico, the price of a kilo of beans in January was 33.90 pesos and now it has reached 23 pesos, a decrease of 33%. At the same time, the price of corn increased from 23 to 39 pesos, a variation of 69.57 %.
He pointed out that the productivity crisis in rural Mexico stems from several factors such as the drought that has lasted for more than a decade, which intensified last year due to the El Nino phenomenon.
He explained that the level of water stress experienced by the country is very strong, as two-thirds of the country is at risk of drought and a third is suffering from severe drought, and water volumes are low in dams due to lack of rain, and problems began to appear in many dams, and it is estimated that the drought during the summer of 2023 was more severe and negative by 60% compared to the figures of 2011.
The Mexican Meat Council (comicarn) also asked the federal government to implement more stable public policies for the country’s meat production chain, since by 2024 they estimate the effects caused by inflation, drought and the end of the federal initiative package against inflation and famine ( Pacific).
