CNTE (TEACHERS’ UNION) PERMANENT BLOCKADES GENERATE LOSSES FOR OVER 100 MILLION PESOS FOR THE POULTRY INDUSTRY: CESAR QUESADA MACIAS, PRESIDENT OF UNA

• Regional and Local Trade Speculates with Eggs and Chicken Prices

Mexico City, July 13, 2016. The Unión Nacional de Avicultores (UNA) expresses its concern for the events taking place in the States of Oaxaca and Chiapas, which undermine the domestic poultry industry, but to a greater extent, the population sectors requiring more of our support and solidarity, Cesar Quesada Macias, President of UNA indicated.

He said that for more than 4 weeks, shipments of chicken and eggs products scheduled from the producing zones located in the States of Puebla, Veracruz and Jalisco to Oaxaca and Chiapas; have been blocked by the members of the teachers’ union Coordinadora Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (CNTE). Without an argument justifying this fact, the members of CNTE have intermittently blocked the passing of our trucks transporting these important staples for Mexicans’ diet living in those States.

Furthermore, the constant blocking is causing unbalances in the marketplaces of Oaxaca and Chiapas.

“The issues in place is causing lack of order in the regional and local markets, affecting the economy of the population in those places”, Quesada Macias added.

“We, as an industry, have looked for ways for the flow of poultry products to be normalized, and for the markets to work on their own. However, the situation in the area does not allow for that, and speculation is being generated by the middlemen, by the regional and by local trade, making products artificially more expensive, such as: chicken and eggs, affecting consumers”, he said.

During the time that there has been a lack of understanding between the CNTE and the Government, the industry has:

• Been affected in its fleet since vehicles with live birds have been burnt
• Had to stop shipments of chicken and eggs to the areas mentioned above
• Absorbed losses due to delays in delivery of eggs and chicken
• Stopped regularly supplying feed for birds under production
• Carriers who had to pay bribes to be able to get through the blockades

In accordance to the information given by the Local Poultry Producers Associations in Tehuacan, Cordoba, Tepatitlan and Chiapas, so far, blockades have caused losses for the industry for around 100 million Pesos.

We know that the poultry industry represents a strategic activity for the economy and the supply of food for Mexicans. For this reason, we restate our commitment with consumers to provide their tables with wholesome and affordable foods, the President of UNA concluded.