Extreme poverty and hunger has forced Mexican farmers to plant opium poppy

For years, the poorest people who inhabit the region known as La Montaña , formed by 17 municipalities, made a living by plating opium poppy . They were paid up to MXN $20,000 for a kilo of opium gum . With the money obtained, people supported their families. However, things have changed in recent years. Now, if they’re lucky, they sell one kilo of opium gum for MXN $7,000. The fall in the price is the result of the surge of fentanyl , a synthetic opioid that has replaced poppy as the main substance to produce heroin .

Now, 100 families have left the region and only 30 remain, as poverty has forced them to migrate to look for better opportunities. Moreover, their situation worsened in 2019 , when federal authorities delayed the delivery of free fertilizer for up to three months. Farmers affirm this affected their crops .

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Therefore, what can these families expect by remaining in the region? Only hunger and poverty .

For decades, the harvest of an illegal opioid was the only way to survive in one of the most marginalized regions in the countr y. According to farmers from the Guerrero mountains , at least 1,280 communities planted opium poppy and almost 50,000 made a living through this.

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Farmers

are aware that their actions are illegal but their proposals to create new opportunities for them have been ignored. In 2016 , they proposed the legalization of poppy , so that the production was used to produce morphine , a drug that is essential for cancer patients . They organized protests and talks, however, the proposal has been forgotten by the Senate .

Guerrero farmers

have requested help from state and federal governments , including productive projects , scholarships , roads , doctors , and the implementation of the federal program Sowing Life , in order to substitute illegal crops ; however, they are still waiting.

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This region in Guerrero is known for extreme poverty . The images published by EL UNIVERSAL today show that the situation is worsening. Their proposals have been dismissed and ignored. When will farmers receive help?

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