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Sheinbaum Launches 'El Maíz es la Raíz' Program in Chiapas

It aims to boost native seed production through economic aid, technical support, community machinery, cutting dependence on commercial hybrid seeds.

Overview

  • The program, which President Claudia Sheinbaum presented on Saturday in Pijijiapan, Chiapas, begins territorial rollout in seven southern and southeastern states.
  • Officials say the first stage will reach 677,000 producer families farming 886,687 hectares and seeks a 20 percent rise in yield per hectare.
  • Federal support packages include direct economic aid, permanent technical assistance, region‑adapted collective machinery and funds for value‑added projects such as tortillerías or tostada factories.
  • The plan ties procurement guarantees to program goals, citing a purchase price near 7,200 pesos per ton, and will use programs like Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro for field accompaniment to encourage generational renewal.
  • The government projects scaling the initiative to 1.5 million small producers in 29 states by 2030 to preserve Mexico's native maize diversity and reduce farmers' dependence on a few commercial seed companies.