SONORA – In a meeting with the head of the Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader), agricultural producers and the productive reconversion industry in the state of Sonora, proposals were put forward to benefit local producers.
In order to ensure that Sonora continues to be one of the main producing states in the country, Governor Alfonso Durazo Montaño explained to Secretary Víctor Villalobos Arámbula that work is being done to adapt Sonora’s countryside to the demands of climate change.
Durazo emphasized that these meetings are an opportunity to look for alternatives for the reconversion of wheat to a viable option for producers, such as barley, especially in terms of generating a smaller water footprint, plant health and greater stability in the market.
During the meeting, a project was presented where the producers, by changing the wheat planting to barley, will have an assured market, in addition to the fact that 28.5 percent less water will be consumed, jobs generated in wheat planting will not be lost, 10 to 20 thousand tons of bagasse will be donated to small producers, among other benefits.
“The truth is that with a very socially committed vision, he makes us this proposal and I hope we find a way to make the best use of it, I see a win-win situation. We have to define the methodology, the price term, but, water, guaranteed market, there are no subsidies, we keep jobs and we have the 10, 15, 20 thousand tons of putty, which is bagasse”, said Governor Durazo.
A pilot plan for planting malting barley (a product used in beer production) is being sought in Sonora to see the viability of crop reconversion in the state.
Governor Durazo proposed establishing a work table to continue with the proposals that Sader, Sagarhpa, the company and producers can initiate to guarantee the benefits for the Sonora countryside.