SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Tortilla manufacturers in the city of Tijuana are reporting their sales have been plummeting even though they haven’t raised prices in three years.
Cecilia Ruiz, who makes and sells tortillas in downtown Tijuana, told the El Sol Newspaper her sales are down by almost 50 percent as clients such as restaurants and taco stands are placing smaller orders.
“Clients are ordering less,” she said. “We had one client who would ask for 100 kilos daily, now he’s only asking for half as much. This is getting ugly.”
According to Baja California’s Consumer division, the average price for tortillas in the state is 28 pesos per kilo, or about $1.50, the highest in Mexico.
Ruiz says the high cost for tortillas in Baja is based on the shipment of corn from other parts of the country, which makes it more expensive because of transportation costs and fuel.
Another tortilla vendor, Geovana Vázquez, says they’ve had to cut down on staff and offer fewer work days to employees.
“Sales are really low, the government is offering no support,” Vázquez said. “If they could help in lowering the cost of corn, that would cut our expenses, but nothing is getting done.”
Tortillas are considered a staple in people’s lives and thus the price is set by the government.
So far, the government has not indicated a willingness to offer subsidies to lower the cost of corn or to support tortilla manufacturers.
Years of drought conditions in Mexico are also said to be having an adverse effect on corn crops, increasing its price.
But Ruiz says despite the higher cost for corn, they haven’t passed on additional costs to consumers.
“We haven’t raised our prices in three years, it’s not up to us, the government controls the price. I just don’t understand why people aren’t buying as many tortillas as they used to.”
According to Baja’s Consumer Division, consumer trends have been evolving in recent years as people’s eating habits are changing and are not eating as much processed food including tortillas.
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