Merida Pig Farmers Name Manuel Quijano Chief

The appointment of Manuel Quijano as president of the Local Livestock Association of Pig Farmers of Merida comes as Yucatan’s pork sector faces increased scrutiny over environmental practices and regulatory compliance. The industry, which produces about 150,000t of pork annually and drives rural employment and exports, must balance growth with sustainability as federal and state authorities, including SEMARNAT and PROFEPA, strengthen environmental impact assessments and oversight. Quijano’s strategy emphasizes wastewater regulation, circular economy technologies and community engagement to protect export markets and maintain the sector’s economic role in southeastern Mexico.

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Veterinarian Manuel Quijano has been appointed president of the Local Livestock Association of Pig Farmers of Merida, amid growing scrutiny of the sector’s environmental impact in the state of Yucatan. The leadership transition was marked by an event attended by representatives from across Mexico’s pork industry, including Heriberto Hernandez of the Organization of Mexican Pork Producers, Jose Luis Perez from the Local Livestock Association of Pig Farmers of Aguascalientes, Vicente Casillas, Claudio Freixes of Kekén and Maria Elena Trujillo from the Mexican Institute of Pork Production.

In an interview with Porcicultura.com upon his appointment, Quijano said the industry must address concerns with stronger transparency, regulatory compliance and environmental practices. “The sector must take a more decisive role and respond with data, results and facts,” Quijano said. Nevertheless, he described some of the criticism levelled at the sector as “systematic misinformation” and an “incomplete narrative” about the industry’s environmental practices.

Yucatan plays a significant role in Mexico’s pork industry. According to Quijano, the state ranks third nationally in production, with approximately 2 million pigs, 104,000 breeding sows and annual output of around 150,000t of pork.

The industry is also a key driver of rural employment. Quijano said pork production generates about 59% of formal salaried employment in rural areas and represents 49% of local GDP in the communities where the activity operates.

Yucatan is the country’s leading pork exporter. The state exports pork products to 14 countries across three continents, supported by sanitary conditions that Quijano described as favorable compared to other regions of Mexico. The peninsula’s geographic isolation has contributed to lower incidence of major swine diseases, which has attracted interest from producers in other states seeking to expand operations.

Environmental Concerns

Despite this growth, the livestock sector in Yucatan faces increasing scrutiny over environmental management. Community groups and activists have raised concerns about waste disposal, water contamination and land use in areas where industrial farms operate. 

In January, the National Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA) temporarily shut down construction and related activities by Productora Nacional de Huevo (CRÍO) at a poultry farm in Hoctun, Yucatan, citing the illegal change of land use on forested land without the required permit from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT). According to PROFEPA, CRÍO — one of Mexico’s largest egg and poultry producers — cleared 8.9ha of natural vegetation to make way for the expansion and future construction of industrial poultry sheds and an access road. The affected area consisted of secondary arboreal vegetation typical of medium-height deciduous forest. 

Local Maya residents across Yucatan, who are economically dependent on small-scale livestock and beekeeping, warn that industrial farming activities present a threat to their livelihoods. They say that machinery noise has disrupted cattle, while emissions and odors from poultry and pork operations affect honeybees. Modesta Canul, a local beekeeper, said bees are sensitive to contaminated air, reducing honey production, while Gregoria Dzul of the Community Council highlighted ongoing nuisances from existing livestock sheds.

In response to these concerns, Quijano outlined a four-point strategy focused on environmental compliance, circular economy practices, community development and ecosystem conservation. A central element of the plan is stricter implementation of NOM-001-SEMARNAT-2021, which governs wastewater discharge standards. Quijano said the association will promote farm modernization, investment in water treatment systems and more efficient water use.

The strategy also includes expanding circular economy initiatives such as biodigesters and composting systems. These technologies allow farms to process animal waste while generating energy or agricultural inputs. Quijano said the sector aims to strengthen partnerships with regional farmers and beekeepers to integrate waste management with agricultural production.

A third pillar focuses on social and community programs. Quijano said the association will expand the “Quédate en el campo” initiative, which seeks to encourage rural employment, support women’s participation in agricultural work and promote human rights standards in rural communities.

The plan also includes commitments to conservation efforts in the Selva Maya, a biocultural corridor jointly formed by Mexico, Guatemala and Belize in August 2025. The corridor includes 5.7Mha of forest, benefiting around 7,000 species, including 200 at-risk species, 50 priority species and 250 species endemic to Mexico.

Quijano said the association is also conducting a census of pork producers in the region to obtain updated data on farms and production systems. The information will be used to strengthen training programs for producers and improve animal welfare, water management and environmental practices.

With nearly five decades of experience in pork production, Quijano said his administration will focus on balancing industry growth with environmental responsibility. “Our goal is to consolidate a sector that is productive, responsible and transparent,” he said, emphasizing that long-term sustainability will be essential to maintaining export markets and the economic role of pork production in Yucatán’s rural communities.

Federal, State Authorities Agree to Strengthen EIAs for Pork Production in Yucatan

Quijano’s environmental strategy builds on ongoing collaboration between the federal government and state officials in Yucatan to strengthen the pork sector’s environmental performance. In February 2026, SEMARNAT, PROFEPA and Yucatan’s Ministry of Sustainable Development (SDS) signed a coordination agreement to strengthen environmental impact assessments (EIAs) for pork production units in the state. The agreement, signed Feb. 9, aligns federal and state oversight through September 2030.

Under the framework, the SDS may request SEMARNAT’s technical opinions on environmental impact evaluations and proposed prevention, mitigation and compensation measures for impacts deemed of federal jurisdiction. Those opinions will be binding for SDS decision-making, authorities said.

The agreement also includes technical advisory services, training and institutional support aimed at strengthening EIA procedures for pig farming activities. Participating agencies will provide technical, documentary and cartographic information required for evaluations and facilitate access to sites subject to assessment to support inspection and enforcement activities. The pact also establishes a Technical Monitoring Committee that will meet quarterly to review implementation progress and operational performance.

PROFEPA chief Mariana Boy Tamborrell said the agreement addresses long-standing coordination gaps between federal and state permitting processes. “The signing of this agreement unifies the efforts of the federal and state governments to regulate the pork sector clearly. Currently, there are farms authorized by federal authorities and others by state authorities. For years, this lack of coordination generated gaps that allowed some companies to operate outside the law,” Boy Tamborrell said.

Speaking on behalf of Yucatan, SDS Minister Neyra Concepción Silva Rosado said the state government is advancing multi-institutional work, incorporating research from universities to address environmental impacts linked to the pork industry.

The coordination mechanism follows a series of meetings held since August 2025 between SEMARNAT, PROFEPA and SDS to design procedures that respect the constitutional distribution of powers while reinforcing environmental oversight. Through SEMARNAT’s Directorate General of Environmental Impact and Risk, authorities aim to enhance assessment processes for pig farming projects and operations in Yucatan.