Consulted economists agree that the basic basket of 24 products, part of the new Program Against Inflation and High Prices (Pacic), is insufficient to cover the food needs of an average Mexican family. According to the National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (Coneval), the monthly cost per person for an adequate nutritional diet in urban areas is two thousand 350 pesos, which amounts to nine thousand 399 pesos for a typical family of four members.
In contrast, the Pacic basket, which costs one thousand 39 pesos per week or four thousand 156 pesos per month per family, is limited to 24 essential products without considering nutritional quality or the individual needs of each household. Although the government announced the goal of reducing this cost to 910 pesos weekly and three thousand 640 per month, experts warn that it will still be insufficient.
Economics and Finance specialist from EBC, Ramón Martínez, emphasizes that the update of the Pacic is positive but fragile, as the prices of basic foods like rice, beans, eggs, and chicken are conditioned by unpredictable external factors such as climate or international economy. He warns that achieving this price reduction goal is a challenge and the stability of the basic basket remains uncertain.
Leticia Armenta Fraire, director of the Economic Analysis Center at Tec de Monterrey, highlights that the Pacic basket is aimed at those earning minimum wage, being insufficient to cover the food needs of Mexican families entirely. She advocates for the implementation of additional measures such as credits, tax incentives, and agricultural technology to improve food production and ensure stable prices.
The prices of the basic basket vary at different points of sale, according to the National Alliance of Small Merchants (Anpec), with an average cost of one thousand 903.03 pesos in markets and small businesses. States like State of Mexico, Jalisco, and Sinaloa have higher prices, while Michoacán, Nuevo León, and Mexico City have lower costs. The problem of access to adequate nutrition continues to be a challenge in Mexico, even with initiatives like the Pacic.
