Mexican farmers take on avocado growers in fight for water during drought

Mexico has received roughly half of its usual rainfall over the past year

Armando Solis · The Associated Press · Posted: Apr 24, 2024 9:26 AM CDT | Last Updated: April 24

As a drought in Mexico drags on, angry subsistence farmers have begun taking direct action on thirsty avocado orchards and berry fields of commercial farms that are drying up streams in the mountains west of Mexico City.

Rivers and even whole lakes are disappearing in the once green and lush state of Michoacán, as the drought combines with a surge in the use of water for the country's lucrative export crops, led by avocados.

In recent days, subsistence farmers and activists from the Michoacán town of Villa Madero organized teams to go into the mountains and rip out illegal water pumps and breach unlicensed irrigation holding ponds.
A potential conflict looms with avocado growers — who are often sponsored by, or pay protection money to, drug cartels.

Last week, dozens of residents, farmworkers and small-scale farmers from Villa Madero hiked up into the hills to tear out irrigation equipment using mountain springs to water avocado orchards carved out of the pine-covered hills.



An unlicensed irrigation pond is under construction by an avocado orchard in the mountains of Villa Madero. Farmers who spotted the pond say they plan to meet with authorities to get the pond's owner to agree on a percentage of water usage. (Armando Solis/The Associated Press)

More:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/mexico-avocado-farming-water-drought-1.7183139