Mexican president launches ambitious forestry, orchard plan
Posted February 1, 2019 9:31 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
MEXICO CITY — Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has launched an ambitious forestry program to plant fruit and timber trees, as well as cacao and coffee, on nearly 1.5 million acres (570,000 hectares) in the country’s south.
The government will pay farmers a wage of about $250 per month to care for plots averaging about 6 acres (2.5 hectares).
The program launched Friday will focus first on planting mahogany, cedar and coffee plants, and will expand to coffee bushes and fruit trees.
The plan hopes to overcome Mexico’s position as a net importer of cacao, the basis of chocolate. Mexicans were among the earliest to grow the crop.
As with many of Lopez Obrador’s projects, the army will play a role, running the tree nurseries.
The Associated Press
