Mathilde Rivera Trujillo has been sworn in as president of the Consejo Agrícola de Baja California, becoming the first woman to lead the agricultural council in its 25-year history. Rivera Trujillo, a chemist by training, will serve a two-year term covering 2026 and 2027.
Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda presided over the swearing-in ceremony. The governor praised Rivera Trujillo’s professional record in the agrifood sector, calling her appointment a milestone for the state’s agricultural industry.
A Historic Milestone for Baja California Agriculture
The Consejo Agrícola de Baja California represents producers and agricultural businesses across the state. Founded 25 years ago, the organization serves as a key voice for the farming sector in a state where agriculture plays a central role in the economy.
Baja California’s agricultural output is concentrated in several major zones. The Mexicali Valley in the east is one of Mexico’s most productive farming regions. The municipality of Ensenada contains three important agricultural areas: the Guadalupe and Calafia valleys to the north, the Ojos Negros valley to the east, and the San Quintín valley to the south. These regions produce vegetables, grains, wine grapes, and other crops for both domestic consumption and export.
Women in Baja California Leadership
Rivera Trujillo’s appointment comes during the administration of Ávila Olmeda, who in 2021 became the first woman elected governor of Baja California. The governor has made a point of promoting women in leadership positions across state institutions during her term.
The agricultural council’s new president takes the helm at a time when Baja California’s farming sector faces ongoing challenges, including water scarcity and cross-border trade dynamics with the United States. Large numbers of workers from southern Mexican states have migrated to Baja California in recent decades to work in agriculture, particularly in the Mexicali Valley and San Quintín region.
Rivera Trujillo will lead the council through 2027, representing growers and agribusinesses in policy discussions with state and federal authorities.
This story was first reported by Ensenada.Net.