Competitividad internacional de la industria azucarera de México (International Competitiveness of Mexico's sugar industry)

La producción de azúcar en México depende de tres elementos fundamentales: a) la cantidad y calidad de la caña industrializada, b) el rendimiento en fábrica, y c) la capacidad instalada y aprovechada de los ingenios azucareros. Sin embargo, el análisis de los factores productivos que inciden en su competitividad se ha llevado a cabo empleando sólo los tres indicadores individuales anteriores, sin considerar la distribución espacial y temporal en cada una y la aptitud ecológica del cultivo en las regiones cañeras, los factores internos a los propios ingenios que determinan su productividad y rentabilidad, y otros. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar la productividad y competitividad de los ingenios azucareros públicos y privados mediante el uso de diversas metodologías de análisis del sistema agroindustrial caña de azúcar, que establecieron la relación temporal entre todos los factores de producción de la industria azucarera para la toma de decisiones técnicas y administrativas. AbstractSugar production in Mexico depends on three elements: a) the amount and quality of the industrialized sugar cane, b) sugar mill yield, and c) the installed capacity and crushing capacity in sugar mills. However, the analysis of production factors affecting their competitiveness has been carried out using only the three previous individual indicators without considering the spatial and temporal distribution in each of them, and the ecological suitability of sugarcane regions, the internal factors of the sugar mills themselves that determine their productivity and profitability, and others. The goal of this paper was to evaluate the productivity and competitiveness of state-owned and private sugar mills using different methodologies for analyzing sugarcane agribusiness system, which established the temporary relationship among all the production factors of the sugar industry for the technical and administrative decisions making

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AND MIGRATION IN THE LAGUNAR DE ALVARADO SYSTEM, VERACRUZ, MEXICO

Background. The fishing problem in the Lagunar de Alvarado System (LAS), taking into account environmental or socioeconomic aspects, has been analyzed by various authors, but few have addressed the relationship between environmental problems as perceived by fishermen, and migration. Objective. To identify the migration phenomenon in three zones of the LAS and its relationship with environmental problems perceived by fishermen. Methodology. Information was compiled from a survey applied to 32 Family Fishing Units. To quantify the environmental problem perceived and relate it to migration, three indicators were used: Pollution Perceived by fishermen, State of Perceived Health of the Fishery Resource and State of Perceived Health of the Environment. Results. The wetland areas have more precarious socioeconomic conditions than the area that borders the mainland, while migration and perceived environmental problems vary in each zone. Implications. Because the causes of migration are multiple, environmental deterioration has an impact on this phenomenon but does not explain it by itself. Therefore, more comprehensive analyses are required. Conclusions. There is insufficient evidence to affirm that the environmental deterioration identified by fishermen is an important motivation for migration

Patrones de cultivo en huertos comerciales minifundistas irrigados de "mexquitic", San Luis Potosí, México

Los sistemas hortícolas minifundistas de Mexquitic, San Luis Potosí, son intensivos y complejos en relación con los arreglos espaciales y temporales de sus cultivos irrigados. En este trabajo se diferencian patrones de cultivo en una muestra de quince huertos mediante clasificación multivariable aplicada a registros mensuales del área relativa ocupada por los cultivos en cada huerto, como un aporte metodológico al estudio de sistemas agrícolas complejos. Los resultados revelan la existencia de un patrón de cultivos de primavera y otro de verano, diferenciados principalmente por cambios en especies ornamentales cultivadas. Asimismo, se encontró que los hortelanos que prefieren herbáceas de ciclo corto cultivan superficies menores, tienen un promedio de edad más bajo y manejan menos especies que aquellos que cultivan herbáceas bienales y perennes