Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda presided over the first delivery of compensatory financial aid to vulnerable producers in Valle de Mexicali. The initiative fulfills commitments made through ongoing dialogue with users of Irrigation District 014.
The governor underscored the fundamental and non-negotiable right to water, emphasizing that it must be treated as a human right rather than a commodity. She hailed the new National Water Law, promoted by President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo and strongly endorsed by Baja California, as a historic turning point for the country.
“Today, our priority is ensuring that families and communities can fully exercise this human right, while giving producers the certainty they need to continue cultivating the land,” the governor said. “This law breaks with past frameworks that allowed water to be treated as a speculative asset and instead places water justice and social justice at the forefront.”
State Welfare Secretary Felipe de Jesús Gamboa Valdez reiterated that the aid package demonstrates the government’s commitment to standing with farming families, assuring them that Baja California’s rural communities are not forgotten. In this first round alone, 350 payments of 15 mil 600 pesos were distributed.
Víctor Amador Barragán, Secretary for Water Management, Sanitation and Protection, explained that the program provides direct welfare support to the agricultural sector while also addressing the new water allocation framework.
Meanwhile, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development Mónica Vargas Núñez praised the trust shown by producers who registered for the program and announced that her department will deliver in-kind assistance worth up to 45,000 pesos per beneficiary, aimed at boosting agricultural productivity.
With this first delivery, the Baja California government is laying the groundwork for continued support through both the Agriculture and Water initiatives to strengthen the Mexicali Valley’s farming sector, protect the livelihoods of local families, and advance a shared vision of prosperity and well-being for all.
