Mexican Coffee Farmers Criticize Government Program Café Bienestar For Insufficient Support – CoffeeTalk

The government programs Café Bienestar and Producción para el Bienestar have been criticized for providing insufficient support to coffee producers in Mexico. Official statistics indicate that there are over 500,000 coffee producers in the country, yet only 6,646 small-scale farmers from Oaxaca, Puebla, Veracruz, and Guerrero benefit from Café Bienestar, representing just over 1% of the total. The Producción para el Bienestar program offers an annual assistance of 6,200 pesos, but only serves roughly 220,000 producers, which is not even half of those nationwide. Farmers, such as Fernando Celis from Veracruz, argue that the number of beneficiaries should at least reach 400,000 to adequately support the sector.

Arturo García, a producer from Guerrero, highlighted the long-standing challenges facing the coffee industry, including volatile market prices that can range from as low as $70 to as high as $400 per 100 pounds. He pointed out significant issues such as the aging of coffee farms without generational replacement, a decline in production, and inadequate government action to support coffee farming through public policies. Additionally, he noted the impact of pests and diseases on coffee crops.

Despite the publication of the Law for Sustainable Development of Coffee Farming, which aims to enhance the production and marketing of coffee, García criticized it for failing to address important matters like health and safety for imported coffee and price regulation. He called for government intervention to ensure that prices align with those on the stock exchange, stating that current buyers do not comply with these standards.

García further expressed concern about the increasing importation of robuста coffee—considered inferior quality—as well as the preferential consumption of low-quality instant coffee in Mexico. To revitalize the coffee sector, he suggested boosting production through financial aid and launching campaigns to promote the consumption of high-quality Arabica beans. He warned against continuing to support inferior coffee products made from additives and low-grade beans.

Celis echoed the need for governmental will to improve support programs, emphasizing the importance of increasing beneficiaries of production assistance, fertilizer support, and measures like the Sembrando Vida program to ensure a robust coffee farming future.

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