dMexico is facing an ice crisis of its own. In the midst of a heat wave, parts of the country, including Mexico City (CDMX), are experiencing a severe mismatch between high demand and a limited supply of frozen water cubes. The shortage is so serious that there are people complaining on social networks, some stores are limiting purchases per customer, and the problem has also reached the country’s media, which warn of the shortage of a crucial resource to face the heatwave.

The real question is… why?

Ice crisis? This is what some of Mexico is dealing with. like media Universal, Tribune, Excelsior o Univisión reports on the “ice crisis” facing parts of the country, including CDMX. This shortage was also felt in chain stores such as OXXO or Walmart, where signs were posted stating that only three bags were allowed to be sold per customer. Some directly report that they have exhausted their stocks.

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In which parts of the country? The famine will, to a greater or lesser extent, affect the Valley of Mexico Metropolitan Area and other parts of the country. Tribune He talks about ice scarcity from Guanajuato to Yucatán, or areas in Hidalgo where there are empty spaces where businesses until recently stored blocks of ice; this situation would be repeated in other establishments in San Luis Potosí, Oaxaca or Querétaro.

Local media or networks have echoed complaints and problems with obtaining valuable pieces of frozen water in the CDMX, where the shortage has affected local businesses as well as chain stores such as OXXO and Walmart; Campeche, Toluca, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Oaxaca, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí and other states such as Jalisco, Nueva León, Veracruz or Yucatán.

“I refuse to give ice to my customers”. The comment comes from Óscar, a trader who explains the situation. Universal How does the ice shortage in the Valley of Mexico Metropolitan Area affect you? “I sell this in a store. [bolsas de hielo] “The ice I bought yesterday and the day before yesterday is no longer available, I do not give ice to my customers,” he complains. He is not the only one. “We were without ice for two days and when they brought it, we were left without ice.” [los clientes] “They waited in line and it sold out in two or three hours,” says another cashier. And this, the Mexican newspaper notes, even though the factories located in front of Mexico City’s Central de Abasto continue to generate significant income. ice volume: About 75 tons are sold every day.

But… What are the reasons? The famine is explained by a combination of factors. The shortage coincides with an intense heat wave, and ice makers like Fiesta or Club point to two key factors that help understand this phenomenon: water shortages resulting from the intense drought shaking the country, and power outages coinciding with an increase in water consumption. temperatures cause homes to use fans or air conditioners.

For example, on May 8, the National Energy Control Center declared a five-hour operational state of emergency, which led to power outages in several parts of the country. The incident coincided with a decline in wind and photovoltaic production during one of the worst days of the second heat wave. Supply disruptions also affected nights.

No new records. The Fiesta ice company is clear on what the key factors were when analyzing what happened. As stated by the customer service areas, this situation is due to “high temperatures, power outages we have experienced in factories in recent days and water shortage due to drought.” production capacity.”

“Due to the high temperatures, power outages and water shortages we have been experiencing in our factories lately, we no longer register customers and do not sell products to individuals/institutions that regularly purchase from us,” they recognize Telediario’s ice tracks. All of these factors, they say, “limit the capacity” of the frozen block producer.

I’m looking at summer. This isn’t the first time Mexico has faced ice shortages. Last year, an incident occurred that coincided with a season of high temperatures in various parts of the country. The industry is now focused on the summer months, namely July, when it hopes the situation can be reversed. At least that’s what the Fiesta company points out: “We hope to be back to normal by July.”

Image | Carl Campbell (Flickr)

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