Unfortunately, the Tuxtlas area has been afflicted with monoculture
farming since Cortes first started growing sugarcane. Consequently the
vagaries of market price have seriously impacted the Tuxtlas economy
and do so at present.
Almost anything Los Tuxtlas has tried, has resulted in a few becoming
very rich and the majority seeing little change over subsistence levels.
Sugarcane, which is probably the largest employer in Los Tuxtlas region,
is very heavily subsidized by the Mexican government in order to keep
people employed. Even the subsidies, though, can´t keep that segment
alive. The government in last few years had to bail out almost every
ingenio (sugar producer) in the area. And the future is bleak. Other
sweeteners, primarily imported from the US, are dominating market share.
Fortunately for the sugar growers and dentists. Mexico has the highest
consumption rate of sugar flavored soft drinks per capita in the world.
Cotton, which was an export commodity in Los Tuxtlas before Cortes
arrived, also dominated the area for a while. That disappeared in the
1800´s because producers could not compete with low priced imports
and other textiles.
Lumber in turn became a mainstay to the agricultural communities for
many years. But failure to replant what was cut resulted in heavy
deforestation and the Tuxtlas, like most of Mexico, turned into a net
importer of lumber.
Coffee then had its turn, and when the international price dropped to
almost nothing, coffee farmers, too, joined the hunger lines.
Tobacco is still a money crop in Los Tuxtlas, although diminishing yearly.
Only the high quality producers, like Turrent, are surviving, but are also
facing future problems related to competition and shrinking consumption.
The staple farming of beans, corn, chile, tomatoes, etc. continues on a
small scale and primarily provides survival food for small landholders and
supplies local markets.
Dozens of other agricultural ventures are being tried and abandoned
faster than a new one takes root. At present the local intelligentsia are
pushing bamboo and lichies. Good luck!
Even bananas are disappearing from Mexico and it´s hard to get a decent
orange, while every Florida & California farmer is crying over Mexican
and more and more Chilean competition.
Some other efforts in Los Tuxtlas are:
Ornamental plants - Small palm leaves used as fillers in flower
bouquets, (palma camaedora) which is fairly stable right now, but
plagued with changes in consumer preference in its major markets in the
US and Europe.
Palms, grown to extract oil, primarily in the southwest tuxtlas area.
Fruits, which should be a natural in Los Tuxtlas, but are limited to a single
processor in Santiago Tuxtla.
etc. etc....
Read this article for some samples of what communities have planted in
order to survive.
Colonization and deforestation in SE Mexico
farming since Cortes first started growing sugarcane. Consequently the
vagaries of market price have seriously impacted the Tuxtlas economy
and do so at present.
Almost anything Los Tuxtlas has tried, has resulted in a few becoming
very rich and the majority seeing little change over subsistence levels.
Sugarcane, which is probably the largest employer in Los Tuxtlas region,
is very heavily subsidized by the Mexican government in order to keep
people employed. Even the subsidies, though, can´t keep that segment
alive. The government in last few years had to bail out almost every
ingenio (sugar producer) in the area. And the future is bleak. Other
sweeteners, primarily imported from the US, are dominating market share.
Fortunately for the sugar growers and dentists. Mexico has the highest
consumption rate of sugar flavored soft drinks per capita in the world.
Cotton, which was an export commodity in Los Tuxtlas before Cortes
arrived, also dominated the area for a while. That disappeared in the
1800´s because producers could not compete with low priced imports
and other textiles.
Lumber in turn became a mainstay to the agricultural communities for
many years. But failure to replant what was cut resulted in heavy
deforestation and the Tuxtlas, like most of Mexico, turned into a net
importer of lumber.
Coffee then had its turn, and when the international price dropped to
almost nothing, coffee farmers, too, joined the hunger lines.
Tobacco is still a money crop in Los Tuxtlas, although diminishing yearly.
Only the high quality producers, like Turrent, are surviving, but are also
facing future problems related to competition and shrinking consumption.
The staple farming of beans, corn, chile, tomatoes, etc. continues on a
small scale and primarily provides survival food for small landholders and
supplies local markets.
Dozens of other agricultural ventures are being tried and abandoned
faster than a new one takes root. At present the local intelligentsia are
pushing bamboo and lichies. Good luck!
Even bananas are disappearing from Mexico and it´s hard to get a decent
orange, while every Florida & California farmer is crying over Mexican
and more and more Chilean competition.
Some other efforts in Los Tuxtlas are:
Ornamental plants - Small palm leaves used as fillers in flower
bouquets, (palma camaedora) which is fairly stable right now, but
plagued with changes in consumer preference in its major markets in the
US and Europe.
Palms, grown to extract oil, primarily in the southwest tuxtlas area.
Fruits, which should be a natural in Los Tuxtlas, but are limited to a single
processor in Santiago Tuxtla.
etc. etc....
Read this article for some samples of what communities have planted in
order to survive.
Colonization and deforestation in SE Mexico
|
Economy of Los Tuxtlas
Agriculture
Agriculture
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