Angry farmers in a once-lush Mexican state target avocado orchards that suck up too much water

By ARMANDO SOLÍS
Associated Press

VILLA MADERO, Mexico (AP) — As Mexico’s drought drags on, angry subsistence farmers have begun taking direct action against thirsty avocado orchards and berry fields of commercial farms that are drying up streams in the mountains west of Mexico City. Rivers and even whole lakes are disappearing in the once green and lush state of Michoacan, as the drought combines with a surge of the country’s lucrative export crops. led by avocados. In recent days, farmers and activists from the Michoacan town of Villa Madero have organized teams to go into the mountains and rip out illegal water pumps and breech unlicensed irrigation holding ponds. The potential for conflict with large-scale growers _ who are often in thrall to drug cartels _ is ripe.