By David Alire Garcia
By David Alire Garcia
MEXICO CITY, March 24 (Reuters) – Mexican corn manufacturing is more likely to complete not more than 24 million tonnes this yr, considerably lower than the federal government’s forecast, the pinnacle of one of many largest corn farmer associations mentioned in an interview.
Juan Pablo Rojas advised Reuters the official estimate of practically 27 million tonnes by the agriculture ministry’s SIAP statistical company was unreliable due to funds cuts which have hit subject personnel.
“The SIAP does not have a manner of realizing how a lot is being produced, or how a lot shall be produced, as a result of it does not have the technical personnel that may confirm the knowledge,” mentioned Rojas, president of the CNPAMM federation, which represents greater than 200,000 farmers nationwide.
Rojas additionally criticized the federal government’s flagship direct money fee program for greater than 2 million smallholders, principally grains farmers, as unlikely to develop output, regardless of official pronouncements that it could.
This system, with a funds of 13.5 billion pesos ($645 million), gives annual funds of as a lot as 8,000 pesos, or about $380 on the present change fee.
“You are not making the land extra productive with 8,000 pesos per yr,” mentioned Rojas, including that the funds have been higher understood as social spending aimed toward boosting political help for the federal government since they can be utilized for any expense.
The federal government’s push to ban the extensively used herbicide glyphosate can also be more likely to enhance farmers’ prices, he added.
In an announcement on Wednesday, the agriculture ministry declined to remark straight on Rojas’ assertions, citing their “lack of any substance.”
It defended SIAP as an accredited establishment that performs important work within the design and operation of public insurance policies and decision-making throughout home farm provide chains.
Final yr’s home corn manufacturing of 27.5 million tonnes, in response to SIAP knowledge, was up about 1% over 2019, the primary full yr of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s time period.
Lopez Obrador has pledged to make Mexico self-sufficient by boosting yields, steadily weaning the nation off about 16 million tonnes of imported corn used principally to feed livestock and different industrial makes use of.
A late February SIAP estimate forecasts 2021 corn manufacturing at 26.9 million tonnes, or down about 2% from 2020 ranges.
Lopez Obrador had advised reporters this month that corn output was on the rise, nonetheless.
“The manufacturing of corn is rising as a result of corn farmers are being supported,” he mentioned.
($1=20.9249 Mexican pesos)
(Reporting by David Alire Garcia; Enhancing by Richard Pullin and Clarence Fernandez)
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