Farmers are left with no means of supporting their families. That's why many are leaving behind their farms and families in Mexico to come to the United States to work. Perez lay part of the blame on the overly ambitious Mexican administrations of the 1970s. Perez said then-President Echaverria once proclaimed that only roads in Mexico would not be planted in crops. Sand from the coast is now blowing towards Tamaulipas.
Red soil blowing in the wind sometimes falls with rain in Monterrey and even here in the Valley.
That soil is coming from Zacatecas and Durango, which are both in very sad shape. Perez said that six years ago John Deere International began forming farmers clubs in 10 areas of Mexico to encourage the practice of conservation tillage, whereby farm machinery makes fewer passes over fields and crop residues are left on the surface to reduce erosion and help the soil retain moisture and nutrients. Perez said that after a recent meeting with top officials of the Fox administration, there is renewed hope for assistance from the Mexican government. It will be very difficult to rescue them. About 2.5 million hectares are HEL, or highly erodable land, which has to be put into some type of conservation tillage before this also is lost.