Overview
- Producers report losing 30% to 50% of their cempasúchil crop after months of torrential rains and flooding, with government figures citing damage across more than 37,000 acres.
- In Xochimilco, Mexico City, officials said up to 2 million plants were at risk even as they reported a local production record of 6 million plants.
- Merchants expect roughly a 7% sales increase for Día de Muertos, and consumers favor field-cut flowers over greenhouse stock for their stronger aroma.
- Scientists at the Toxinachcal seed bank are conserving native seed variants and plan to make more resilient stock available to growers following climate-driven losses.
- Farmers describe rising input costs and insufficient assistance that hinder investments in adaptations such as greenhouses, despite 2024 data showing large national output and leading producer states.