Michoacán agricultural producers protest sale of regional fruit packing plant

Agricultural producers, packers, and harvesters in Múgica, Michoacán, have launched protests against the planned sale and divestment of the region’s most significant fruit packing plant. The facility is a vital economic driver for the Tierra Caliente region, providing direct livelihoods for approximately 400 families and indirect support for over 3,000 people, including transporters and merchants.

During the demonstrations, protesters threw tons of citrus and mango onto the streets to highlight the potential economic impact on laborers and local commerce. Guillermo Valencia Reyes, the state leader of the PRI, criticized Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla’s administration, characterizing the attempt to sell the public asset as a theft of productive heritage. Valencia Reyes argued that the agricultural sector is currently squeezed between extortion from organized crime and adverse government decisions.

Local leaders and political representatives have called for an immediate dialogue table with the Michoacán government. They are demanding that the packing plant remain under the control of the workers and producers to ensure legal certainty and economic stability for the rural community.