Around 3,000 Jalisco corn farmers – some from the municipality of Chapala – staged a protest outside the State Congress building Wednesday demanding greater subsidies for their crops.
The state government signed an agreement with the farmers at the end of last year, guaranteeing them 3,800 pesos per ton of maiz (corn), an amount considerably higher than the international market rate, which currently hovers around the 175-dollar mark.
The farmers say authorities have failed to respect that price and that thousands of maiceros are suffering hardship.
The farmers are now demanding a guaranteed return of around 4,000 pesos a ton.
State legislators will vote next month to approve a new corn subsidy to be included in the 2015 state budget.
Farmers’ representatives promised to block city streets if their demands are not met.