Agricultural initiatives focus on maize production and trade clarifications

In Mexico, a scientific and community-led initiative in Peto, Yucatán, is working to revitalize native maize production. Supported by the Secretariat of Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation (Secihti), the project led by Efraín Castillo López of the Universidad Tecnológica del Mayab combines traditional knowledge with modern research. The goal is to increase the yield of native varieties like Naal Xoy, which currently averages 800 kilograms per hectare—a figure insufficient for the annual needs of a typical five-person household.

Techniques being implemented include the use of biorational pest control, mineral-enriched bio-fertilizers, and the maintenance of the milpa polyculture system to conserve soil moisture. The project involves 17 local producers in San Dionisio and Dzonotchel.

In Venezuela, Fedeagro president Osman Quero clarified following meetings with the U.S. Department of Agriculture that the United States is not directly financing agricultural exports to Venezuela. Instead, a credit guarantee program exists to facilitate specific transactions between U.S. exporters and Venezuelan importers. Quero emphasized the need for public policies to ensure equity between imported finished goods and domestic raw materials.

Additionally, Mexican legislator Jesús Fernando García Hernández has proposed reforms to the Sustainable Rural Development Law to create insurance mechanisms for the agricultural, livestock, and fishing sectors to mitigate climate change risks.