Dependence or alliance: the dilemma of Mexican agriculture facing the U.S.

MC. Raymundo Elizalde Gastelo The Mexican and American countrysides are intertwined. They share markets, seasonalities, and risks, and this proximity defines who advances and who falls behind. The issue is no longer about how much is traded, but now centers on who sets the direction and conditions of this relationship. Mexico buys over 30 billion dollars in agricultural products from the United States each year. A significant portion corresponds to staple grains such as yellow corn, wheat, soybeans, and sorghum. The United States operates with advantages that are difficult to match: federal subsidies, precision agriculture, accessible financing, and highly efficient logistics. Its highly mechanized production, driven by historic support policies, allows it to place grains at very competitive prices, even considering international transportation. For states like Sinaloa and Sonora, this reality weighs heavily. Their productivity is high, but the costs of diesel, energy, ...