Proposed typology for citrus farming socioeconomic units in Gutiérrez Zamora, Veracruz, Mexico.

Abstract

Citrus farming is a productive activity of economic and social importance in Mexico, sustained mainly by small-scale peasant socioeconomic units (PSUs). Therefore, it is necessary to understand the way these units function, in order to propose improvement methods in this sector. In this context, the objective was to analyze the internal and external conditions of citrus PSUs in Gutiérrez Zamora, Veracruz, to provide information that would contribute to understanding the current operation of PSUs in the Mexican citrus sector. The variables considered to characterize them and create a typology were demographic, socioeconomic, and productive. Statistical tests such as Student’s t test, Mann-Whitney test, one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) were used to identify differences between groups. Results show a greater number of men as landowners and PSU owners. Orange is the main citrus fruit in 90.7% of the units, followed by grapefruit (9.3%); 81.4% only have one type of citrus, 14% have two and 4.7% have three. The variables referring to type of tenure, production system, main occupation, hiring of day laborers and education explain PSU operation and allow these to be characterized into five types: agrarian ejido, specialized ejido, pluriactive ejido, pluriactive private and non-peasant private. We conclude that PSU operation is influenced by the demographic, socioeconomic and productive profile of the citrus growers, as well as the sociostructural transformations in these areas that define the possibility of employment outside agriculture.