No Tortilla Price Hikes in Quintana Roo This Year

Cancún, Mexico — The president of the National Chamber of the Mass and Tortilla Production Industry in Quintana Roo, Rubén Montalvo Morales, has stated that the sector is experiencing a period of stabilization and does not anticipate new increases in the price of tortillas for the remainder of this year. This is contingent upon the Federal Government maintaining control over the costs of key inputs such as corn and flour.

Montalvo Morales explained that the average price for a kilogram of tortillas in the state ranges from 25 to 28 pesos, although in areas such as Tulum, Cozumel, and Playa del Carmen, prices have been recorded as high as 30 pesos.

In an interview with Radio Fórmula, the industry leader recalled that during the pandemic, the cost of flour and corn rose by more than 100 percent, while the increase in the price of tortillas did not exceed 40 percent, a disparity that negatively impacted the profitability of tortilla shops.

Montalvo Morales indicated that the federal proposal to reduce the price of tortillas by two pesos responds more to political than economic motives, as it would be unviable to implement without subsidies or direct government support.

"If the goal is to make it cheaper for the consumer, the two pesos should be granted through social programs, but the industry cannot be forced to assume a loss," he stated.

Unfair Competition and Health Risks

The industry leader warned that the sector faces a significant problem of unfair competition. On one hand, supermarkets sell tortillas for as low as 13 or 14 pesos as a market strategy, a practice he characterized as dumping. On the other hand, informal or illegal tortilla shops evade taxes and operate with stolen gas or electricity, allowing them to offer lower prices, albeit at the expense of product quality.

Montalvo Morales called on the public to prioritize purchasing directly from established tortilla shops, where they can verify the conditions of hygiene and production, rather than buying the product from informal stores or businesses where "it is not known what inputs or processes are used."

Rising Municipal Costs

Even with relative stability in the cost of basic inputs, the sector is confronting increases in municipal payments for permits, civil protection, garbage collection, and other processing fees, representing an additional challenge for legally constituted tortilla shops.

Despite this scenario, the chamber's representative expressed confidence that 2025 will conclude without new increases in the price of the staple food, provided the government fulfills its commitment to keeping input costs stable.