After two years of the pandemic, the flower-producing sector begins to recover. Photo: Internet.
By: Abigail Angélica Correa Cisneros
This Mother’s Day, ornamental flower producers managed to distribute over 3.8 billion stems of chrysanthemum, rose, gladiola, lily, gerbera and sunflower, produced at the end of the 2021 agricultural cycle.
The sector is just recovering, after two years of depressed sales due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent droughts. The volume produced last year was valued at almost 6.4 billion pesos, with the State of Mexico generating just over 4.7 billion pesos of the total (74.2 percent), a figure that placed it as the top producing state in the country.
On May 10, thousands of mothers throughout Mexico received a floral bouquet or decorative ornament as a token of love. Thanks to the beauty of flowers, their aroma or cultural significance, flowers are the most in-demand gift of Mexicans to show love on Mother’s Day.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, chrysanthemums had the highest production volume at the end of last year with over 1.4 billion pieces, of which the State of Mexico contributed 92.3 percent, far ahead of Puebla’s 6.2 percent and Morelos’ 1.0 percent.
Rose production closed 2021 with just under 1.4 billion stems, an increase of 5.6 percent compared to the previous year. The states of Mexico, Puebla and Morelos led production with 77.3, 7.5 and 7.3 percent, respectively.
In the same period, 726,729,696 gladiola stems were produced. The species ranked third nationally in value and volume of production. Puebla, State of Mexico and Morelos were the main producers in 2021 with 43.9, 33.4 and 13.8 percent shares, respectively.
In fourth place nationally is the gerbera, which is only produced in the State of Mexico. At the end of last year, growers reached a volume of 192,567,744 stems, which marks an increase of 4.6 percent compared to 2020.
Lilies ranked fifth nationally, with a production of 109,749,312 pieces, which is equivalent to an increase of 3.6 percent compared to 2020. The State of Mexico, Veracruz and Mexico City led production with 84.5, 13.6 and 1.8 percent, respectively.
Sunflower production saw an increase of 25.7 percent from 2020 to 2021, with a volume of 46,841,760 sunflowers produced. This marks the highest increase in production of all floral species. The State of Mexico contributed 25,893,000 flowers; 55.3 percent of the national total.
Another variety in high demand is the Dutch tulip, which is produced only in Mexico City. Production of this species closed 2021 with 455,500 plants, which generated a production value of 15.9 million pesos.
Meanwhile, production of the orchid – considered an exotic species – reached 946,923 plants and a value of 152 million pesos in 2021. This species is only produced in the states of Jalisco (93.1 percent) and Tamaulipas (6.9 percent).
From the Center
Yesenia Mollinedo Falconi and Sheila García Olivera, from the news outlet El Veraz, in Veracruz, were shot by hired killers. The two journalists were mothers of families. Mothers of missing persons marched from the Monumento a la Madre (Monument to the Mother) to the Angel of Independence to demand «truth and justice» for their loved ones. They highlighted the words of the Mexican UN representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (ONU-DH), Guillermo Fernández Maldonado: «there are no more mothers in the world looking for their children than in Mexico.»
Translated by Rebecca Zittle
The parked cars hindered the transit of the thousands of people who accompanied the Lord of the Huaje in his procession through Jocotepec. Photo: Héctor Ruiz.
Hector Ruiz Mejia (Jocotepec).- Parked cars obstructing the procession of the Lord of Huaje generated dissatisfaction among both the faithful and organizers.
The person in charge of the attendants, Carlos Mendo, said that in spite of having requested the support of the Highway Department, dozens of vehicles remained parked along the procession route on May 1 that celebrated the Christ.
In the stretch of Juárez Street between Hidalgo and Matamoros, and up to Morelos Street, cars hindered the passage of the faithful, who had to squeeze together in order to pass.
«There were a lot of people participating in the procession, and with all the cars parked there it made it very difficult to proceed. I don’t know what happened or why they were not removed, I just know that they should not have been there. They only served to hinder progress,» commented one of the procession attendees.
In response to complaints, Jocotepec municipal president José Miguel Gómez López relayed to the City Council that no request for support regarding parked vehicles had been made.
However, Carlos Mendo was able to show Laguna the documents he received that had been reviewed by the Public Safety Department, where the request for assistance from the Highway Department had been made.
Mendo said that it was probably a «miscommunication between me and the Highway Department, but it is important to record that support was in fact requested,» he concluded.
Translated by Rebecca Zittle
Poster advertising «Art Wednesdays». Photo: Sofía Medeles.
Sofía Medeles (Ajijic).- Courses in different plastic techniques will be offered, including the handling of terracotta, drawing, acrylic, watercolor and engraving, under the instruction of artist Juan Navarro.
Although the courses have not yet begun, registration is still open. The age range is 12 years and older and the cost is 30 pesos per class. Materials will be requested depending on the discipline in which the student wants to develop.
Enrollment is at the Ajijic Cultural Center, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; for more information call 3321170383.
Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan
(From left to right) Filiberto Pérez Vega, Nadia Vega and José González Valenzuela. Photo: Sofía Medeles.
Sofía Medeles (Ajijic).- Three athletes from Ajijic from the group of mountain runners «Team Jou», managed to stand out in the competition «Ultra Cerro Rojo» in Tlatlauquitepec, Puebla, which took place on April 30.
They are José «Jou» Valenzuela, Filiberto Pérez Vega and Nadia Vega, who ran in the free category, in different distances; Jou in the 50 km reaching the ninth place; Nadia in 15 km achieving the sixth place; and Filiberto in the 30 km, positioning himself in the number 15.
Both Filiberto and José said they were happy with this experience, even though they described it as a «heavy» race. For Nadia, this competition was the second in which she participated outside of Jalisco, so she shared that she found it incredible to go out and see these places that she described as beautiful.
«Because of my injury, the race was a little difficult for me, but I finished it out of pride. On the route they supported me and gave me a pill to keep me going. Although in my case I did not achieve the goal and I felt frustrated, that motivates me to continue and be better in the next races,» said Jou Valenzuela.
The three mountain marathoners agreed that they will continue running in races outside the town, and that they feel very motivated, as well as grateful for the support that the people of Ajijic have given them.
Regarding the selection of those who will represent «Team Jou» in this type of races, Valenzuela mentioned that they are chosen for «the desire» they put into their training.
He also invited anyone who wants to be part of his team to contact him through his Facebook page «Jou Valenzuela» so that he can provide them with information about the meetings.
Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan
Brian Mattes, new President of LLT at his home in Ajijic. Photo: Patrick O’Heffernan
Recently elected LLT President Brian Mattes was a Washington lobbyist for the Vanguard Group where he guided legislation to benefit retirees. He has an undergraduate degree in communication and theater and an MBA. Laguna English Editor and longtime radio host Patrick O’Heffernan sat down with Mattes at his home for a conversation on the future of the Lakeside Little Theater. Below is the full interview.
The production of La MIchichuall by La Cochera Cultura i was exciting do you anticipate others like that?
The performance of Michi-Chihualli produced by El Cochera Cultural at LLT was very exciting to me and there will more like that. It was a wonderful collaboration, they were great people to work with and it was a fantastic show. Well received. Why not do more like that? And it is the direction that I want to move the theater ..doing more productions that are different from what LLT used to do. It was ground breaking on some levels, but very exciting and new and different. In the next years we will see more productions like that. We are very inclined to work with them again; we are already in conversations about that and perhaps others as well.
I know there is a bridge between La Cochera Cultural and LLT through donors to both organizations. Will you be able to form those kinds of collaborations without that kind of personal bridge?
I hope so. We would like to see some new productions like that, working within the bylaws, of course, but we can find ways to do that. So , yes. It is more a matter of the production, something that will be exciting and enlightening to the Lakeside audience. One of the visions I have is that LLT becomes a place where it reaches out to not just for entertainment, but for enlightenment, and that is where I want to go, as fast as possible.
Michi-Chiualli was produced by a Mexican organization with Mexicans on stage…is that an opening to the Mexican community or is that a very difficult challenge.
Both. It is a difficult challenge because of language issues and so forth. But I am hoping that it was a was an example of how we can overcome them and work with the Mexican community. I would love to see more Mexicans on stage…we have had the great fortune of having outstanding young Mexicans in certain roles. It was wonderful; we have had outstanding talent come from young Mexicans who filled critical roles. And it very rewarding to see the Mexican families come out and see their children on stage…and they are so happy to see their child on stage in a great production.. That is what it is all about, being happy at seeing a production. And the tradition of families in the Mexican community is paramount. So if a Mexican is on stage, the family will come out. Maybe it will lead to having other Mexicans on stage filling key roles and the families seeing another show.
Do you envision seeing Spanish or bilingual productions on stage?
I never thought about but it could be a good idea. I should explore it more. I am looking for ways to bring more Mexicans into the theater…I have not totally sorted that out yet, but I want to work toward it. May something like the Met’s projected translations project on the stage or on the back of the screen . Maybe if we could find a technical way to do that we could. That would be cool.
Would travelling troupes, Mexican or English be possible at LLT?
I am just exploring the idea of traveling troupes at LLT because there are times when the theater is dark and I am not happy when it is dark. I would like to see more shows in production. If it can filled by a travelling show and it would be giving more to the community.
Could you fill the theater with the local community – Mexicans – when the snow birds go home? Is this possible?
It is . I am exploring reaching out to the local community . It would give us something to with the theater during the summer.
You have so many ideas about theater. Are you a theater person?
I am theater Buff. I have been going to theater for about 50 years. I have seen theater around the world. I have seen professional theater in Broadway, Los Angeles, London. I have seen community theater in little towns in Pennsylvania and elsewhere. I just love theater.
I have an undergraduate degree in communications in theater and an MBA. I bring the artistic side and the business side. I think it is a unique combination to say, I can look at the artistic side but also the business side. We have to be creative, but we have to watch the budget. We have to run the theater as somewhat of a business, but not entirely. There is a great book on management written back in the 90’s called “Good to Great”. The author was challenged if the business metrics can be applied to community theater After researching it, he said that instead of the language of business, which would be naïve, we should apply the language of greatness.
I loved that and explained that to the Board.
My goal is greatness. We will let the patrons define greatness. If we do great shows we will have great audiences, and we will raise more money and produce more great shows, and it will get going like a flywheel.
Greatness can mean changing the culture – a new way of doing things. LLT has been trampled by a herd of sacred cows and my job is to turn them into hamburger. We are culling the herd, one by one, out they go. Do not tell me that that’s the way we have always done it. – that is like waving a red flag in front of a bull.
I want to do new things new ways – traveling troupes, collaborations, doing more with the theater in the summer- lots of things to consider..
But, we need more depth in things like directors, stage managers, etc. ,So I am starting the LLT Academy. We have already assembled a number of people who have graduate degrees in theater from here or London or elsewhere, who have done major productions. They can teach Acting 101 or 201 or 401 and courses in stage management, character development, etc. And we will develop a course catalogue for 6 -8 months. I hope to start this in September or October. I hope to have courses running by the end of the year.
I have people on the Board who are excited about this. I have reached out to theater luminaries in the area to teach; some will volunteer, some who will want remuneration. Many are eager to teach. We just have to find a facility to hold it and fit it into our schedule. I want to have them running by the end of the year for people who have an interest in theater but need to learn some skills. This will increase our depth and lead to more greatness.
But this means we need more volunteers. We will get involved in volunteer fairs. I am hoping to have a big volunteer fair, open house at LLT, maybe in September, where people can come and tourn the theater, meet people behind the curtain, meet directors, stage managers, other actors, see the course catalogue an volunteer right there at the theater.
Would the academy be an opportunity to train people for the long term?
That would be my fondest dream. Start someone young in the Academy , taking courses for a year or two or three, then get them involved as an understudy or apprentice who would develop over the years. Then the next thing you know comes Season 60 and we have this huge number of seasoned people who can put on even better shows. I am looking past my term to season 60 and 64 to lay the groundwork for greatness after my term.
And we need to develop backstops…someone to step in when we lose a sound board operator or director, or whatever. We will do this in my first term. We can’t run the risk of not running a show because someone did not wake up, or was incapacitated. We are not running the theater with 30 somethings. We have to consider this; at the retreat with the Board I said we have to have a succession plan in place for all key positions We identify people and train them if we have to.
Demographic changes are happening – younger people are moving here. Is LLT tracking this and its possible impact on programming?
Yes. We are actually tracking a lot of changes in the audience, We have noticed there is a high intellectual capacity in the Lakeside community. There are many people with college degrees, advanced degrees and they are looking for something more novel more enlightening than a fluffy comedy, but something more engaging. This is true for the young families and the cyber nomads. They want something more intellectually challenging.
I have a new board member, Mark Nichols with a fantastic career at the Schubert organization in the US, and I am just tickled that we have him on board. He will bring this kind of analysis to the board of who is our audience and what are they looking for. At the end of the day the we exist to enlighten and entertain our patrons, and that is what we need to give them….I think we need to do an even better job…we are looking at who is our audience, what are they looking for , and give it to them.
Was “Silent Sky” an example that kind of intellectual challenge?
Absolutely! I loved it and the audience loved it…it was so novel, so different. I was stage manager during several performances, so I could talk to audience members coming out at the end of the show. They were thrilled. When you walked into the theater there was this music playing, there was an engaging set that was different, not a bunch of flats that looked like someone’s dining room. …it was mind-expanding. I was so excited by that kind of play , I can’t wait to do more like that.
Is there any risk that you will be too innovative for the existing audience, that they will say this is not the old LLT I am use to?
I hope they say that! I was asked to run for President to not to be a caretaken and I won’t be a caretaker. I will quit first. I want people to say “Wow that is different LLT and I like it”. I don’t want a status quo, doing what we are used to doing. I want to shake things up I want to make LLT a place to go not just for entertainment, but for enlightenment. That is the mark of a great theater. New Things, new ways despite the sacred cows and all that. I understand there exists a magic tome called the LLT Rulebook. If I ever find it, I will have a bonfire on the Angel Terrace to burn it.
We will still have a varied collection of plays each year – a comedy, a music.al, etc. But great plays.
Going back to “Silent Sky” that was such an audience hit, and so was Random World and so was Madre. When people saw Madre, every night, they were in tears, and it was wonderful. That is what I want. We moved the audience with those plays. There was connection. We created something that excited them. I want people to say that is not the old LLT and I love it.
I know there is some risk involved. When radio stations change forms, they lose some of the old audience. But they gain a newer , bigger audience. Cadillac went through a major change because its buyers were old and dying off, They needed to attract new buyers. So they did and sales are up. We have to go through the same thing….change.
Change management is difficult , and some people will be upset. But at the end of the day you have a great product to offer if it is done right. It has to be great, it has to be something they like. They may have liked LLT in the past, but wait until they see what is coming.
And not just the Main stage, maybe travelling troupes, maybe concerts, maybe something else. Look at the staged readings…people loved them. The 10 minute plays are great idea . MT Live has become a big success. I have become acquainted with something called Alice’s Parlor , which has run in 30 theaters in the US, in which of plays with a similar themes are presented over different nights,s o you can see a variations of the play on successive nights. Other things we have not seen at LLT before include summer stock. We can create more reasons to come to LLT and that is very exciting.
Cecilia Flores, president and founder of the collective Madres Buscadoras de Sonora.
Héctor Ruiz Mejía (Jocotepec).- Despite the fact that the municipality of Jocotepec has registered more than 50 missing persons between January 2014 and December 2019, so far no mother has joined the search for her children.
Cecilia Patricia Flores Armenta, president and founder of the Colectivo, «Madres Buscadoras de Sonora» who support the searches in Jalisco, invited the mothers of the municipality to join the movement.
According to data obtained via transparency, under folio 00097120 before the Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office, there are at least 58 current records of people from Jocotepec whose whereabouts are unknown. The complaints were made from January 2014 to December 2019. However, Cecilia said that there is no mother from the municipality who has requested help from the collective.
Cecilia also reported that in the state alone, until 2022, there are over 16 thousand people missing or unaccounted for.
Flores Armenta commented that Madres Buscadoras de Sonora was born as a result of the tragic disappearance of her sons Marco Antonio Sauceda and Alejandro Islas Flores, a little more than three years ago, and to the lack of support from the authorities.
So, in desperation, but driven by the faith of finding her sons, she founded the collective that extends to a great majority of the country and has found more than 900 missing persons and another 800 alive.
Cecilia Flores urged all those mothers, who are going through a terrible situation such as having a missing child, not to be afraid, «our children have the right to be looked for,» she insisted.
She added that the situation in Jalisco is very complicated, since most of the bodies found by the collective have been found in farms and «mutilated,» explained Flores.
In the last operation of the collective in Jalisco which took place last February, 281 black bags with remains were found–apparently 81 bodies, as well as five more farms, without counting yet how many bodies there were.
Finally, Cecilia urged the population to become aware of the situation and urge the authorities to do their job properly, because she does not want any other mother to know «what it is like to be dead while alive.»
Translated by Sydney Metrick
Jocotepec boardwalk merchants claimed sales were slow, but official estimates of tourist revenue paint a brighter picture. Photo: Hector Ruiz.
Héctor Ruiz Mejía (Jocotepec).- After a “terrible streak” caused by two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, the recent Easter holiday season had a favorable economic impact in Jocotepec, said Víctor Loza Ornelas, director of Tourism and Craft Development for the municipality.
More than 18 million pesos (about US$900,000) were spent in the municipality during Holy Week and Easter, according to a management study of estimated tourist revenues.
The estimate was based on the average number of visitors, which, according to the director, reached 18,000 over the holiday period.
Visitors are classified into two categories: those just passing through and those staying for an extended period.
Those who visit for just one day are estimated to spend around 350 to 400 pesos per person.
Longer-term visitors, including those making use of the municipality’s hotels, are estimated to spend between 1,200 and 4,500 pesos per person.
Merchants along the Jocotepec boardwalk have complained that holiday sales were lower than anticipated.
But Loza Ornelas said he was satisfied with the results, particularly given the “terrible streak” of the past two years, caused by the pandemic.
Translated by Alan Ferguson
Currently, drought in Jocotepec is classified as moderate. Photo: Héctor Ruiz.
Héctor Ruiz Mejía(Jocotepec).- The drought index decreases from «severe» to «moderate» in the municipality of Jocotepec.
In spite of the high temperatures reaching up to 34 degrees Celsius registered in the last few days, the data shared by the Monitor of Drought in México indicated that for the first two weeks of May, the humidity in the environment caused the municipality to go from severe drought (D2) to moderate drought (D1).
As stated by Carolina Alejandre Ruvalcaba, head of the Water Culture program of the National Water Commission (CONAGUA) Jalisco, this represents that, together with the humidity in the environment, favorable conditions due to the level of Lake Chapala in contrast to past years, have helped avoid drought.
Alejandre explained that drought is classified into two categories: meteorological, i.e., corresponding to water precipitation in the atmosphere; and hydrological, which is the deficit of flow or storage in natural watercourses and bodies of water (surface water).
«These factors have to be taken into account, because sometimes people relate drought to desert or vegetation so there is no drought but it is not so, there are several causes that determine that a territory is in drought, as well as its categories».
However, the official added that the classification is never a static scale because just as the levels decrease from one two-week period to the next, which is the period of time captured by the Drought Monitor, they can also increase.
Regarding the intensity of the current drought stage (D1) in Jocotepec, the second on a scale of five, some damage to crops and pastures, a high risk of fires, low levels in rivers, streams and wells are expected, so voluntary restriction in the use of water is recommended.
Finally, Alejandre Ruvalcaba said that stages D1 and D2 during this period of the year are normal since it is still considered the dry season, until May 15, when the rainy season begins.
According to the North American Drought Monitor (NADM), drought is classified in a five-scale chart, which goes from the minimum as D0 Abnormally Dry, D1 Moderate Drought, D2 Severe Drought, passing through D3 Extreme Drought, and ending with D4 Exceptional Drought.
Translated by Sydney Metrick
In the competition in Tepatitlán, the cyclists from San Juan Cosalá scored first, second and third place.
Alma Serrano.- San Juan Cosalá. Children and teenagers from the San Juan Cosalá Cycling School participated in their first two cycling competitions, one in Lagos de Moreno on May 1 and the other in Tepatitlán on May 8.
In the May 1 race, five kids from the school participated in age-appropriate categories, with routes ranging from 2 to 35 kilometers; their final result was two fourth places and one fifth.
For the Tepatitlán race on May 8, the athletes scored first, second and third places in the competition.
For promoters Joel Nava and Samuel Camarena, these results were the fruit of rigorous training; the members of the school have practiced for an hour and a half six days a week for months.
The promoters commented: «It fills us with satisfaction to see that the children are attracted to this beautiful sport. We are pleased with the results throughout the competitions. We also thank our sponsors and the people who make it possible to attend these events, we hope that more people become interested and that it grows even more,»
Despite the fact that the young cyclists are between eight and 14 years old, the promoters have been surprised at how committed they have been in their training and enthusiasm to compete; on June 6 they will participate in another cycling competition in Zapotlán el Grande.
Translated by Paul Weeks
Chapala generated 76 new formal jobs during April, according to the IIEG. Photo: Archive.
In April, Chapala was placed on the list of 20 municipalities with the highest job generation, while Jocotepec joined the list of those with the greatest losses.
This is according to figures presented by the Institute of Statistical and Geographic Information of the State of Jalisco, or IIEG, based on the IMSS database of insured workers.
Chapala ranked 13th with 76 new formal jobs generated during April, 59 of them permanent and 17 temporary. Leading this category was Autlán de Navarro with 514 workers, Tonalá with 454 new jobs and Guadalajara with 401 more insured workers.
In contrast, Jocotepec ranked sixth on the list of municipalities with the greatest loss with 271 fewer formal jobs,167 casual and 104 permanent. Zacoalco de Torres had the greatest number, losing 925 workers. Tlaquepaque lost 835 and Zapotlán el Grande lost 741 formal jobs.
At the state level, Jalisco lost 2,061 formal jobs during April 2022, mainly in the agriculture, livestock, forestry and fishing sector. Despite this drop, during the first four months of the year, the state generated 34,716 new jobs, making it the second state in the country with the highest accumulated annual figure.
Translated by Mike Rogers
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