They call for unity in the face of the great challenges that climate change brings

Daniel González Delgadillo

Sent

La Jornada Newspaper
Friday, October 18, 2024, p. 13

Aguascalientes, Ags., The head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader), Julio Berdegué Sacristán, assured yesterday that with a lot of convictionthe government of President Claudias Sheinbaum seeks a constructive relationship and frank dialogue with Mexico’s agri-food sector, to overcome major challenges, such as droughts, pests and food.

When inaugurating the 21st Global Agri-Food Forum, Berdegué highlighted that in the current administration We are convinced that all of you are necessary to make the objectives set by the President a reality in our fields and coasts; we can’t do it without you.

With this cooperation, in which also businessmen, farmers and scientists intervenehighlighted that Mexico It is a food powerhousebecause it is currently in ninth place globally as a producer, and in seventh as an exporter; One of the president’s objectives, she stressed, is to maintain that pace. He reported that 55 percent of the country’s 32 states produce groceries daily.

He recalled that in recent years, 9.5 million people have escaped poverty, so they were able to have better access to groceries, which generates greater demand for high-quality products that are aimed at healthy eating.

Berdegué Sacristán highlighted that the country faces great challenges due to climate change, among which he pointed out the long droughts that some states in the northeast of the national territory still suffer, water scarcity and 7,200 pests in crops, which is why it is important to apply government programs, such as the next announcement of the National Water Plan or the investment in scientific education.

Juan Cortina Gallardo, president of the National Agricultural Council, provided his support to Berdegué in this new administration, determining that we must all lift up Mexicoseeing climate change as a great challengeso he asked to have public policies with the new government to keep moving forward.

He assured that the conservation and care of water is very important, because the agri-food sector consumes 76 percent of the existing liquid in the country, and given the current demand, he asked that the development of programs for the preservation of national jobs continue. .

Francisco Alberto Cervantes Díaz, president of the Business Coordinating Council, called for all of these problems facing the country’s countryside and coasts to be addressed with preventive measures.