Table 2 Tortilla production at the different marketplaces before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Marketplace | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Process | La Placita | Travelling Tianguis | Municipality market |
Before pandemic period | |||
Type of maize used | Mainly native | Native and hybrids | Only hybrid |
Access to maize | Mostly from own cultivation | Mostly locally bought | Bought at wholesale stores |
Place of preparation | At home | On the street | At the store |
Sale location | Sidewalk and street corners | On the street | At the store |
Production process | Nixtamal, local semi-industrial milling, tortilla press, steel comal and wood stove (photo 1) | Nixtamal, local semi-industrial milling, tortilla press, round steel comal and gas stove (photo 2) | Nixtamal, local semi-industrial milling, tortilla press, rectangular steel comal integrated into a gas stove (photo 3) |
Types of tortillas | White, blue, occasionally pink (with or without whole wheat flour) | White, blue, occasionally pink and yellow (with or without whole wheat flour) | White, blue (with or without corn flour) |
Characteristics of the tortilla | Big and thick (18 cm diameter, 40 g) | Regular artisanal (16 cm diameter, 35 g) | Regular standard (15 cm diameter, 33 g) |
Sales format | Dozen | Dozen or weight | Mainly weight |
Sales price by format in August 2018 | Warm and retail purchase: 0.66 USD Cold and wholesale purchase: 0.50 USD | Dozen, freshly made, and retail purchase: 0.66 0.85 USD per kg | Freshly made, retail purchase: 0.70 to 0.80 USD per kg |
Sales volume | 35 kg per week | 45–50 kg per day | 150–200 kg per week |
Type of consumers | Local and intermediary consumers | Local and regional consumers | Local consumers |
Jobs created | 85% of sellers employ one female helper The remaining ones employ 2 or 3 people | 60% of sellers employ two women 40% employs 3 or 4 people | 40% of sellers employ 2 people 60% employ 3 people |
Beginning pandemic | |||
Sale price by format in the year 2020 | 0.86 USD a dozen. Warm, retail price | 0.72 USD a dozen. Retail freshly made 0.86 to 0.96 USD per kg | 0.86 to 0.96 USD per kg. Retail, freshly made |
Sales volume | 50 kg per week | – | 100 kg per week |
Type of consumers | Local consumers | Local consumers | |
Pandemic COVID-19 situation | Enabled without restrictions: increase in sales and 50% reduction in the number of women selling them | Disabled | Enabled during the red code, but with reduction in sales. Loss of employment and increase risk of business closure due to elevated cost of renting premises y administrative expenses |