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René de la Cruz
9 min 18 sec
René de la Cruz, Rural Development
Translated by Cecilia Chapa
There was a time when the Federal Government, the State Government, the Agriculture Department gave us support with credit, fertilizer, herbicide, and at a very affordable price. Today, well, everything has to come out of our own pockets, out of our hard work. So, if we are sowing in a rain-fed seasonal program, we face many risks, lots of risks, too much humidity or lack of rain, strong winds, and hail. That is, these are the risks we face when we invest our money. Therefore, when it became unaffordable for the people, because they could no longer buy fertilizer, improved seed, that's when they decided to leave for the city. A lot of people left for the US. Many others from here are in Guadalajara or in Tuxtla, the State’s capital. There they work as construction workers, unskilled laborers, night watchmen, well, any kind of work, but they are in town because they say: “there we have a steady salary.” And we, as country people, well, we don’t have a fixed salary. There are times in which we get our investment back but not enough for a salary. So, these are the problems that forced many to leave for the cities. There is a lot of abandoned land. Many do not farm anymore; they no longer work with maize. It [maize production] is no longer facilitated by the Federal Government, and by the State Government, unthinkable! Therefore, the coyotes [middlemen], the hoarders, the dealers are the ones to set the price and they say: the price on this is …
What is more, I heard that there was controversy this year when they were setting the price of maize. Some wanted it to be at five hundred, then at three hundred. Another one said "I’m going to pay it at 2300 or at 2350 [per metric ton], and I assure you that I’m going to buy corn at this price”. So they were trying to reach an agreement and there was some fuss. And then came December 20, or 10, with them not reaching an agreement on the price. So, the farm storage facilities began buying around December 20 or 25. Even that! Back then, when there were rural grain storage facilities, they would open on the first of October or on October 15th at the latest. In October! So when November came and someone wanted to begin sun-drying their corn, they could start with the curing process. Not today.
Today, there are some people who have their corn already shelled, but cannot sell it because there are no buyers. So, these are some of the marketing problems. These are the facts to face. A lot of people have stopped farming, a lot of people. I, at least, have an aspiration to plant hybrid corn. But, lots of people cannot buy it anymore. They just can't. They no longer think about buying improved seed and go back to the criollo varieties. A lot people decided to go back to their criollo corn because of the price Educampo is selling the [technology] package this year. There’s no longer a way to do it. It is not affordable because of the fertilizer. Just think about it, the price of a bag of urea is 400 pesos, a bag of the 18-46-0 formula is 635, 640 pesos. That is, one bag and one bag, if you buy a bag of urea with a bag of the 18-46-0, they are more than one thousand pesos. And we do not spread one. Well, we do not spread two! We spread fifty or sixty bags! Therefore, how much at the end, do we have to invest?
So these are the problems we are going through today. A lot of people are dissatisfied. And I, well I would like to blame the Government System, but, well, who knows? I don’t know. I do not know what policies the Government and the industry that manufactures fertilizers are following. Because they cannot skyrocket the price. If this year a package rose from three thousand, from three thousand six hundred to seven thousand pesos, it means that it is ninety, eighty five percent above the price they gave us last year. Now, I want to think that if they paid us our corn at two thousand and thirty five, I want to think that they will also raise the price 85 percent. Otherwise it will not be affordable.
And at the same time, we have those people who lived in that time of the maize who got fertilizer almost for free. The Government almost gave it away, almost. Because if you could pay for it you did, if not, you didn’t. The important thing is that they farmed and fertilized. There's more, in the past there was no need for corn fertilizing. Today, if you sow a hectare without fertilizer, it gives nothing, nothing, nothing. Therefore, these are things we think, that today’s life gives you back anyhow, because we live better. We live better, no doubt about it. Lack of money is not as bad today. And perhaps, well perhaps it is because a lot of people are working away earning a salary. Back then it was not so. Everyone was devoted to farming, everyone, everybody, all.
So many of the ones that go to Tuxtla or Guadalajara send money to their families for sowing? And to the US too?
Yes. Ah and also to the US. Yes, for sowing, for everything, for their family's upkeep. I mean, country life is very hard and difficult. A lot of people are fooled and think it is easy. Furthermore, there are people here who have sold their land to people from Tuxtla. These people from Tuxtla come wishing to farm and they get so badly disappointed because they can't do it.
Farming has always been placed at a lower level, never at the same. It’s always been down. So there’s a lot of people that… how can they survive? They become old and have no money for their subsistence. They sell, or begin to sell their lots. ‘Till the last lot. And maybe some are lucky enough to sell their last lot [and die so the money will be used] to get buried. Others are not so lucky. The fate of others is to finish selling before they die and are left like that, with arms crossed and no money. These are the circumstances the country is going through.
And the children follow in the farming business?
Well, a few of them do, some don’t. No, usually they don't anymore.
How many children do you have?
I’ve two.
Are they here?
No, they're not. My children work. Well, in my case, since my son started school he can't
help me or say that he will help me this week or... No, not anymore, nothing, nothing. It
is only me, alone, with all the work.
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