Farmers and transporters announced a national strike for next Monday, due to the lack of agreements with the government regarding their demands to establish a fixed price for corn and stop insecurity on the roads.
Eraclio Rodríguez Gómez, leader of the National Front for the Rescue of the Countryside, explained in a press conference that they do not accept the “alleged agreements” that the Government has announced with the producers to “subsidize” the price of corn, which – the producer accused – only benefits businessmen and does not contribute to the improvement of the countryside.
In front of the National Palace, Rodríguez Gómez reported an alliance between farmers and transporters to continue the mobilizations they have carried out in recent days, but now jointly.
“There is a close relationship between the rural producers and the transporters. If it were not for them, it would not be possible for us to be able to bring food to the tables (…) And they are also being wronged, assaulted on the roads, they are charged floor rights (extortion),” the producer warned.
Baltazar Valdez, also leader of the National Front for the Rescue of the Countryside, explained that the first action of the alliance will be to carry out a national strike on November 24.
“This is, stopping the transportation of cargo, from its origin,” he said.
Valdez explained that this time they will only block the transit of goods. “We are not going to obstruct the passage of private vehicles and passenger transport,” he assured.
Continue reading: National Agricultural Council asks farmers to end road blockades
In addition to this, he announced that they are going to carry out “the seizure of customs, as a form of maximum pressure to be served” by President Claudia Sheinbaum, since he considered that in the meetings with the head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Julio Berdegué, they have only received “unfulfilled promises.”
David Estévez, president of the National Association of Transporters (ANTAC), called on all transporters in the country to join the national strike and not provide service on November 24.
“I call for the mobilizations that we are going to carry out together with our fellow farmers (…) the alliance is for all of us who suffer on the road,” said Estévez.
‘The decrease in violence is false’
Likewise, he described as “false” the decrease in violence that the Government presumes, and denounced that workers in the sector continue to work with fear and uncertainty of going out on the road and not returning home, as has happened with some colleagues.
Subsequently, the members of the National Front for the Rescue of the Countryside issued a statement in which they presented their specific demands to the Sheinbaum Government.
Specifically, they ask for State recognition of national agriculture and the establishment of a development bank for the agricultural and fishing sector.
They also demand that grains be left out of the next review of the trade agreement with the United States and Canada (USMCA), scheduled for 2026.
In addition, they demand the publication of guaranteed prices for all food production, as well as being taken into account in the new National Water Law, proposed by Sheinbaum.
In recent days, farmers have carried out demonstrations in 25 of the 32 entities in the country, with the main demand to establish a minimum price of 6,000 pesos (321 dollars) per ton of corn.
With information from EFE
Follow information about business and current affairs in Forbes Mexico
