Technical, economical and social actions of farmers to mitigate water deficit in Tamaulipas, Mexico

The present study was carried out in the Third Unit of Technical Assistance (TUTA) of the Irrigation District 026, in Tamaulipas, Mexico. Since the beginning of the construction and operation of the dam “El Cuchillo-Solidaridad” in Nuevo León in 1994, the decrease in available water resources was manifested in the study area; besides, there was a prolonged drought (1995–2003), an increase of input prices, and a low market price for maize. Nonetheless, the district was able to maintain the totality of its cultivated surface. The objectives were to study the actions farmers carried out to mitigate the impacts of water deficit and abandonment of land, and to determine the level of communication and organization among farmers. A total of 90,500 pieces of information (plot number, irrigated surface, crop sown, crop surface, and crop yield) were collected by the TUTA from 1994 to 2006, and were organized into a GIS environment. The farmers mitigated water deficit impact by modifying the crop pattern in a drastic way, from maize to sorghum because the latter requires less irrigation to maintain its productivity, and distributing the water in equal form. Therefore, they were able to avoid migration, and abandonment of the land. Under favorable water availability and international market prices for maize, a new shift in crop cultivation was done, from sorghum to maize. The drastic shifts in crop cultivation were possible because of the equal representation that each farmer has within their organization, and because of the close communication among themselves. This level of organization enabled farmers to make immediate decisions and to adapt quickly to environmental and economic restrictions within each agricultural cycle. These findings represent a new alternative to face agricultural drought in other countries with similar conditions.