Currently in Mexico the minimum age to work in agricultural labor is 18 years old.  However, in the last few months several political actors have been promoting a reform to the law so that 16 and 17 year olds may participate in the field.

In fact, it is possible that this reform will occur before May of this year, since there is information indicating that the Senate is planning to modify the Federal Labor Law in the following months, which would allow young people to join the productive activities in this industry.

The latest boost this initiative has received was the forum “Job opportunities for young people in the agricultural sector”, held recently by the International Horticultural and Fruit Alliance for the Promotion of Social Responsibility (AHIFORES) and the National Agricultural Council (CNA, both by their Spanish acronyms).

The forum was attended by political actors who indicated that negotiations are already underway between the various parliamentary groups, with the aim of providing better job opportunities for young people in the Mexican agricultural sector.

This is excellent news for agribusiness, especially considering that in many agricultural regions of the country there is a lack of workers for the fields, while at the same time, many young people, not finding adequate job opportunities, end up joining criminal groups.

It must be considered that in the rural regions of the country many young people of 16 and 17 years of age are already parents, so offering them the opportunity to have decent jobs is a need that has been tangible for several years.

However, we must be cautious, as this is not the first time that a change in legislation has been promoted in this regard, although on this occasion it seems that the intentions of the decision-makers are aligned with the needs of the industry.

Source: El Universal