Corn crop in the Isthmus affected by El Niño

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in its latest Crop Prospects and Food Situation presented yesterday in Chile, revealed that it is uncertain forecast corn production in Central America and the Caribbean due to the presence of El Niño that can generate lower rainfall and drought conditions this year.
The report explains that if added to Mexico within the subregion, the maize harvest recorded an increase of 5% compared with 2014, reaching 29.6 million tons. This will be the result of increased Mexican production, which accounts for about 85% of this area, the country would reach a record level of 25 million tonnes due to increased planted area.
Regarding prices, the paper noted that in Guatemala, the second largest producer in the subregion, the price of white maize declined in June and was well below their levels of last year, reflecting ample supplies of good 2014 harvest and adequate flow of imports from Mexico. He added that bean prices increased in most Central American countries except Nicaragua.

“In Guatemala, where black beans are mainly produced and consumed, prices continued to rise while entering grain seasonally in September with the start of the next harvest,” he emphasizes. Additionally, the FAO estimated that the wheat harvest this year will reach a near record 4.1 million tonnes, an increase that will result from the expansion of the planted area due to strong domestic demand and higher yields.