Farmer Warns of Difficult Corn Season Ahead in José María Morelos

José María Morelos, Quintana Roo — The next corn harvest in this municipality could be even harder than the last one, a local farmer warned, pointing to erratic weather and pests that have already thinned yields across the area.

Ángel Gómez Tox, a farmer who lives in the community of Bulukax, said this season’s crop came in minimal despite the use of fertilizer and government financial support. Swings between rain and sun kept the milpas — traditional corn plots — from developing properly, leaving growers with little chance of recovering what they invested.

“If the corn cycle is already out of control, there is not going to be any corn,” he said, describing the uncertainty producers face as the season unfolds.

Gómez Tox said the losses are also pushing people away from farming, with young residents preferring to look for work in other sectors rather than take up agricultural jobs.

“Young people like being hired for Jóvenes Construyendo el Futuro, but not for the fields. They don’t like farm work,” he said, referring to the federal youth employment program.

The farmer said economic support for producers must continue, arguing that growers struggle to keep their plots going when the weather prevents them from bringing in a decent harvest. Without favorable rains, he warned, the situation could become even more difficult in the next agricultural cycle.