Due to the economic and social importance of public markets, this year 39 million pesos has been budgeted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER Jalisco,) to continue the improvements of Jalisco municipal marketplaces.
This includes contributions of the local municipalities totaling 8,990,000 pesos, and during the past two years, 42 properties have been intervened.
This was reported by the head of the SADER-Jalisco office, Salvador Álvarez García, who said that this year's budget item was obtained from financing contracted by the Executive Power to stimulate economic reactivation in the face of the pandemic.
He highlighted that the Municipal Markets Dignification and Competitiveness Program has the task of making these points of sale reliable places in the health and safety of the food sold there.
The head of Commercial Promotion of the agency, Alejandra Monserrat Aceves Ramírez, pointed out that this year's exercise will focus on nine municipal markets, which includes some that were already supported in previous years, but have not been concluded.
Among the programmed actions are the municipal markets of La Huerta, with an allowance of 7 million pesos; Ocotlán with 6,625,000 pesos; Tonalá with 6,500,000 pesos; Villa Corona with 4 million pesos; and Unión de Tula with 3,874,000 pesos.
The El Río Cuale, Emiliano Zapata and Cinco de Diciembre markets of Puerto Vallarta are also scheduled, with a state investment of 560,000 pesos, 348,000 pesos, and 1,090,000 pesos, respectively. Ayutla will also receive an allowance of four million pesos.
She explained that some municipalities have already started actions, given that "in this case of the markets, it was a special issue for the economic reactivation after the pandemic, and (the funds) were labeled to reactivate the economy through the markets."
In relation to the markets supported in previous years, there have been advances of 90 to 95% of goal in several municipalities. Aceves Ramírez cited the case of the Tizapán el Alto market, due to the size of its dimensions which include the concentration of 100 commercial premises, and that of La Huerta, whose previous building was demolished in order to proceed with a new construction.
She added that in each intervened market a Municipal Committee is formed to follow up on a work plan overseeing quality performance by its merchants and authorities.
During 2020, 12 million pesos were exercised in the construction and remodeling of markets from SADER Jalisco, in addition to funding from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Works.
During the current year, the program will have a direct impact on 443 families that have their source of income in these buildings.