Mexican farmers will present nearly 1,500 lawsuits Monday for damages resulting from the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Consulted by a group of lawyers, the farmers seek legal protection against the agreement which, they sustain, leads to the collapse of the agricultural sector.

The protests began after the agricultural chapter of NAFTA came into effect on January 1, establishing the elimination of tariffs on US and Canadian imports of corn, milk, sugar, bean, and other products.

They point out that the strong agricultural subsidy in those countries, and weak financial situation of the Mexican sector result in unfair competition and will cause failure of the national agricultural structure.

The chief of the lawyers, Ramon Diaz Vazquez, said NAFTA chiefly violates article 27 of the Mexican Constitution, which calls for the State to support the farming sector by generating jobs and promoting the rural activity.