Nopal, loses ground in Oaxaca and has become an ally in times of drought

Miguel Chávez Santiago has started planting nopal, a cactus commonly used for food, on one of his 12 hectares in a municipality of the Central Valleys, despite skepticism from others due to drought conditions. This is in response to the significant decrease in planting of this crop in Oaxaca, with 1.38 million hectares in 2009 reducing to 144 hectares in 2019, as reported by the Agrifood and Fisheries Information Service (SIAP). The Secretariat of Agricultural Development, Fisheries and Aquaculture (Sedapa)'s Agrifood Atlas of the State of Oaxaca shows that the state's production of prickly pear, the fruit of the nopal cactus, was only 284.47 tons in 2019. However, Miguel believes that intercropping nopal with other crops like peas, green beans, and Creole beans, without using fertilizer, could improve his family's economy and help recover hope in the countryside. These crops are more resilient to drought and can bring in a profit, especially given the market demand for these foods due to their nutritional benefits, particularly in controlling diabetes.