PRODUCTIVITY OF FAMILY AGRICULTURE IN CHIAUTZINGO, PUEBLA: A CASE STUDY

Abstract

The productivity of family agriculture in Sierra Nevada, Puebla, Mexico, is affected by the scarcity of economic resources, adverse climate factors (drought, low temperatures and relative humidity), the aggressive development of some parasites, and the lack of access to information, among other factors. The objective of this study was to analyze the levels of productivity and profitability that can be obtained in some cultivation systems, to suggest alternatives to the situation described. Information generated from 2015 to 2017 in the plot of a family of two producers was analyzed. The results indicated that under irrigation it is feasible to obtain production of maize higher than 10 t ha^-1, bean higher than 2 t ha^-1,
in ayocote and amaranth 4 t ha^-1, in addition to close to 13 t ha^-1 of peach and apple. The associated crop patterns improve the productive efficiency compared to the simple crops, 50 % in maize-ayocote guide and 70 % in maize-bean guide. Stemming from an adequate technical management plan, even when the family establishes a large number of crops (12 species and 20 varieties), it is concluded that it is possible to contribute to increasing productivity and profitability of the agricultural systems of annual and fruit crops that small-scale producers have access to in the study region.