Crecimiento o atraso: la vía mexicana hacia el capitalismo agrario

This article discusses the traditional interpretation of Mexican agriculture. The inefficiency of large agricultural estates and their fearful absentee landowners, reduced and captive markets, antiquated technology, and lack of efficient institutions are traditionally considered to account for the failure of rural Mexico to embark on the path toward capital development. It is suggested that while this characterization of hacienda estates was valid for some regions in the last third of the nineteenth century in regions linked to urban expansion and the railroad system, agricultural estates were rather productive undertakings with advanced technology and efficient management. The article argues that main obstacles to capitalist agricultural development were compulsive forms of labour organization; the lack of high-output agricultural products; an insufficient monetary circulation that prevented the formation of more cohesive agricultural markets; a salary system based on payments in cash; and the scarcity of agricultural credit.