Overview
- The National Agricultural Council (CNA) reports that roughly 20% of Mexico’s farmland is no longer being planted, citing insecurity, migration, water uncertainty and sanitary threats as key drivers.
- Extortion linked to organized crime is adding about 10% to 20% to final food prices, with the impact varying by product and region, according to CNA president Jorge Esteve.
- Producers describe more sophisticated shakedowns, including fees per hectare or per ton and pressure to buy inputs from designated suppliers, with criminal quotas folded into irrigation and transport costs.
- Security spending has increased for cameras, guards and truck escorts, and transport insurance has become costlier or unavailable, with premiums sometimes reaching up to 25% of a vehicle’s value.
- Sector leaders call for restored supports, price coverages and modernization as they flag limited credit access (about 8% of farmers) and high interest rates of 18%–20%, and they estimate export-related losses exceeding $2 billion tied to a drop in cattle shipments.