|
|
|
 Business News | January 2008 
Mexico to Boost Aid to Farmers by 20% in 2008
 Andres R. Martinez - Bloomberg
go to original
 |  | The U.S. farm bill puts Mexico at an unfair disadvantage.
- Alberto Cardenas |  | | | |
Mexico will increase aid to farmers this year by as much as 20 percent to make them more competitive against their U.S. counterparts, whose exports to Mexico have been free of duty since the start of the year.
The aid - a mix of loans, donations and subsidies - will total 57 billion pesos to 60 billion pesos ($5.5 billion), Agriculture Minister Alberto Cardenas said at a news conference in Mexico City today. The federal government and states spent 50 billion pesos to aid farmers last year, he said.
"The U.S. farm bill puts Mexico at an unfair disadvantage," Cardenas said.
The aid increase answers calls from Mexican farm workers and legislators, who said a flood of cheaper U.S. imports would destroy jobs and encourage more Mexicans to try a better life as an illegal immigrant north of the border.
Mexican duties on U.S. sugar, corn, beans and milk were eliminated on Jan. 1 as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Cardenas said he wants to increase farm goods exports to Europe and Asia to mitigate the impact of a possible recession in the U.S., which buys about 80 percent of Mexican exports.
To contact the reporter on this story: Andres R. Martinez in Mexico City at amartinez28(at)bloomberg.net |
| |
|
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us