TYPIFICATION OF SMALL SUBSISTENCE FARMS IN AMATEPEC MUNICIPALITY, STATE OF MEXICO, MEXICO

Abstract

Background.  The State of Mexico is located among the main livestock producers in the country. In the southwestern region of the state there are small agricultural production units (SPU) with clear pluri-activity where livestock production does not respond to purely productive purposes, which is why they do not belong to livestock associations, and which have not been studied socioeconomically or productively.  Objective. To determine the socioeconomic characteristics of SPU in three communities in the municipality of Amatepec, State of Mexico. Methodology. 43 SPU holders were interviewed in the upper, middle and lower areas of the municipality. The information was analyzed with a factor analysis using the principal components method and cluster analysis. Results. Three groups were identified: self-consumption (AUT) (54% of the SPU), whose main economic activities were work for third parties and commerce. The livestock group (PEC) (26% of the SPU) had its main activities in cattle production and agricultural production. The agricultural group (AGRO) (30% of the SPU) had livestock and agriculture as their main activities. Implications. The lower availability of land, migration and the lack of generational replacement are factors that cause the disappearance of small production units in rural areas, so new and better government support strategies must be generated to ensure subsistence. and the development of families in rural areas with few resources that allow them to continue with their lives in the rural regions of the country. Conclusion. The small production units studied were characterized by farmers of advance age and low scholarity, migration of the young family members and, low land availability as the main limiting factor for development, which resulted in the practice of diversified agriculture and cattle production with no specialization, therefore family members complement incomes from out of farm activities like unskilled labor, commerce, remittances, and from government subsistence support programs which barely provided enough incomes to subsistence, therefore the continuity of the farm in agriculture and cattle production remains uncertain.