Socio-demographic characteristics of rural producers of the Mexicali municipality, Baja California: a comparative approach

    The objective of this work is to prepare a comparative descriptive analysis of socio-demographic characteristics of rural producers in the municipality of Mexicali, Baja California, using two sources with temporal proximity: the Survey of Rural Producers of the Municipalities of Baja California and the last Agricultural Census. The thematic and territorial disaggregation that is carried out is of importance due to the notable shortage and need, in northern Mexico, of regional and local knowledge to plan regional and rural agricultural development. The variables considered are: producer and family size, expenditure, productive problems, age and gender, schooling, professionalization and technical training, complementary producer and family occupations. It was found that the vast majority of producers are still small-producers, their household expenditure is clearly low, their main problems lie in the cost of inputs and there is a delicate warning due to advanced age, low schooling and training that adds up to a low proportion of possible replacement as producers in the subsequent generation which has a preference for a way of life other than agricultural activity.