FNRCM, ANTAC Protest Over Grain Payments and Security

FNRCM and transporters group ANTAC are escalating pressure on Mexico’s federal government over delayed grain payments, low offered prices, and pending price-support/commercialization aid, while highlighting that highway insecurity continues to hit producers and freight operators. Their call for a March 20 national mobilization follows late-2025 negotiations that temporarily paused widespread road blockades during peak season.

Mexico’s National Front for the Rescue of Mexican Farmland (FNRCM) escalated pressure on the federal government this week, calling for nationwide mobilizations over what it describes as broken commitments on grain payments, price support mechanisms, and commercialization aid, while also tying the farm crisis to rising insecurity on Mexico’s highways alongside the National Association of Transporters (ANTAC).

In a series of Facebook posts, FNRCM-affiliated groups in Sinaloa and the Bajio accused federal authorities of failing to honor agreements signed with the Agriculture Ministry (SADER) late last year, leaving producers without liquidity and with large volumes of grain unsold. The messaging culminated in a joint FNRCM-ANTAC letter dated Feb. 25, 2026, addressed to Gianni Infantino, President, FIFA, and Mikel Arriola, President, Mexican Football Federation, warning that planned demonstrations could coincide with the 2026 FIFA World Cup calendar in Mexico.

Sinaloa Farmers Seek Direct Meeting with Sheinbaum

Baltazar Valdez, President, Campesinos Unidos de Sinaloa, urges producers to mobilize, citing what he called a “total” failure to comply with agreements signed with SADER in November and December.

The group’s demands, as laid out in the posts, center on:

• Pending payments for corn and wheat producers, described as moving at an “unacceptable” pace

• Unfulfilled complements to the guaranteed price and commercialization support tied to prior cycles

Valdez says the group planned to attend an event featuring President Claudia Sheinbaum on the road to Imala, linked in the post to the start of construction of an IMSS hospital, seeking direct contact and an interview. The message warns that the sector could be pushed toward “radical decisions” if it remains unheard.

A separate FNRCM message focused on producers in Jalisco, Michoacan, and Guanajuato, describing a grain market breakdown driven by a sharp gap between production costs and buying prices.

According to the post:

• A producer needs at least MX$7,500 (US$436.27) to cover costs and secure a minimal margin

• Some industrial buyers, including Bachoco, are offering MX$3,958 (US$230.24)

• Julio Berdegué, Minister of Agriculture, is said to have committed to a MX$5,200 (US$302.48) price, but the post claims warehouses are closed and producers have been ignored

The post also criticizes SEGALMEX-Bienestar for not purchasing grain in the Bajio, arguing that authorities are instead pointing to a MX$950 (US$55.26) administrative process “as if it were the solution,” while producers allegedly have had tons halted since November.

FNRCM further claims that more than 1 million t are claimed to be rotting, arguing that Mexico’s domestic, high-quality corn is being displaced as borders remain open to imported transgenic corn. The post frames the situation as both a commercialization problem and a sovereignty issue, urging President Sheinbaum to “put order” in the market.

FNRCM’s messaging also widened beyond agriculture, calling for a multi-sector mobilization on March 20, preceded by a forum on March 19 at UNAM, according to the posts.

The call lists a coalition that includes FNRCM, MAC, Agrodinámica Nacional, and “all allies,” alongside ANTAC, and invites participation from multiple groups, including teachers, health workers, “madres buscadoras,” transporters, miners, retirees, and homemakers. The central argument is that the farm crisis is “a symptom” of broader governance and justice failures, and that a united movement is required to force government attention.

Joint FNRCM–ANTAC Letter Links Farm Economics and Highway Insecurity

In the Feb. 25, 2026 letter, FNRCM and ANTAC say their planned actions intersect with the World Cup schedule, a tournament to be held in Mexico, the United States, and Canada that will officially begin on June 11 in Mexico City.

The letter argues that, by the time games are held in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey, harvests of corn, wheat, sorghum, and other crops will have concluded and volumes will have accumulated, yet producers will face limited market access because, the groups claim, the government maintains an indiscriminate importation policy that favors large importers and agro-financial corporates.

Separately, the letter places transport security at the center of the conflict. It describes highway travel as a high-risk activity, alleging frequent cargo theft, tractor-trailer robberies and extortion by organized crime, and arguing that the absence of the state has left portions of territory and national highways effectively at the mercy of criminal groups.

The groups characterize the coming months as a dual crisis, exposed production without adequate pricing, and persistent insecurity that affects the broader population. They also frame their complaints within the trade-policy era of USMCA, arguing that economic policies and insecurity have deepened food dependency and displaced domestic producers.

In late November 2025, ANTAC and FNRCM ended a three-day wave of nationwide highway blockades after reaching an agreement with the Interior Ministry (SEGOB). The mobilization began Nov. 24 and affected more than 25 states, with organizers demanding stronger highway security and fairer conditions for producers, as previously reported by MBN.

Weeks later, Mexico faced renewed disruptions on Dec. 17, 2025, but the strike was suspended after Dec. 18 negotiations announced by the federal government, easing immediate risks to supply chains during the year-end peak season.

The Dec. 18 package centered on highway security measures, including reinforced operational presence, escorts/monitoring on high-risk corridors and expanded use of technological tools, and a roadmap on agricultural measures, MBN reports. The agricultural measures include discussions on price-support mechanisms for staple crops and producer participation in commercialization planning, plus an institutional channel to analyze USMCA issues.