Overview of Affected Crops and Regions
In Mexico, heavy rains and flooding have severely impacted agricultural activities in Puebla, Veracruz, San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo, and Querétaro. According to data from the Secretaría de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural, approximately 48.3% (1.7 million hectares) of the total area planted by August 2022 remains unharvested across these states.
The affected areas sum up to 3,449,000 hectares, with 1,665,269 already harvested and 14,865.6 hectares reported as damaged due to excessive moisture, flooding, and landslides. Meanwhile, 1,784,057.92 hectares still need to be harvested.
Veracruz and Puebla Experience the Greatest Delays
Veracruz leads with 474,000 hectares remaining to be harvested, accounting for 32.8% of its cultivated land.
- In Álamo Temapache, out of 16,873 hectares of corn planted, only 8,451 hectares have been harvested (50% progress).
- El Higo reports losses in corn, beans, lime, and sugar cane. While sugar cane harvest is complete, lime only reaches 65% of its planted area.
Puebla follows with 582,569 hectares (69.1% of its sown area), with significant portions still unharvested in Huauchinango and Pahuatlán.
- Huauchinango’s main affected crop is cereal coffee, with 469 hectares planted and 416 harvested (88.7% progress), leaving 53 unharvested.
- In Pahuatlán, cereal coffee is the primary crop as well, with 1,329 hectares planted and 1,202 harvested (90.4% progress), leaving 127 unharvested.
Hidalgo has 275,217 hectares (61%) yet to be harvested. Xochiatipan has fully harvested both corn (102 hectares) and beans (498 hectares).
San Luis Potosí reports 367,129 hectares (61.4%) still unharvested. Tanquián de Escobedo has 905 hectares of corn, with only 430 harvested (48%), and San Vicente Tancuayalab has 3,980 hectares of sugar cane harvested out of 4,398.
Querétaro has 85,081 hectares (74%) of its agricultural land unharvested, though it has the smallest affected area in absolute terms.
Lack of Financial Support for Agricultural Contingencies
Antonio Medrano, a member of the Coalición de Organizaciones Democráticas, Urbanas y Campesinas (CODUC), explained that there is currently no budget allocated to address agricultural contingencies, a situation that has persisted from the current administration and previous ones.
Gustavo Mercado Mancera, a scholar from the Facultad de Estudios Superiores (FES) Cuautitlán of the UNAM, emphasized that agricultural insurance and the former Fondo de Desastres Naturales (Fonden) were crucial tools for mitigating these impacts. However, he criticized that resources often failed to reach the most vulnerable communities.
Ensuring Food Security and Economic Stability
To ensure food security and economic stability in rural areas, it’s crucial to urgently implement an agroforestry strategy and restore direct financial support mechanisms for farmers to cope with the growing threat of climate change.
Gerardo Noriega Altamirano, a researcher from the Autonomous University of Chapingo, warned that the impact on agriculture will be long-lasting unless deforestation in upper catchment areas is reversed.
He proposed an agroforestry strategy combining shade-grown coffee with commercial species like macadamia, avocado, or red cedar to generate income for farmers while protecting the environment.
Government Support and Ongoing Efforts
The federal government has reported 76 fatalities and 31 people unaccounted for due to extraordinary rains causing floods in Hidalgo, Puebla, Veracruz, Querétaro, and San Luis Potosí.
Currently, 109 localities remain inaccessible, and 329 roads are closed. However, emergency efforts have partially reopened several stretches. A total of 22,754 personnel are dedicated to addressing the emergency, supported by 1,384 heavy machinery, 204 aerial bridges with 48 helicopters, and 293 accumulation centers nationwide.
President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo visited Pantepec, Sierra Norte de Puebla, on October 19, announcing direct support of up to 20,000 pesos for affected families and the start of Pantepec Bridge reconstruction.
She met with residents in a temporary shelter, assuring them of the federal government’s continuous presence until recovery work concludes. Accompanied by the Secretary of Welfare, Ariadna Montiel, military personnel, the National Guard, the Navy, Protección Civil, and local authorities, including Governor Alejandro Armenta Mier, whom she thanked for immediate coordination post-disaster.
On October 18, she supervised support efforts in Hidalgo’s affected communities as part of her tour of regions most impacted by precipitation from October 6-9.
