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Guatemala + 4 more

Central America and Caribbean: Key Message Update, November 2018

Rainfall anomalies causing crop damage and low income are affecting the region’s food security

Key Messages

In Central America, the high season for labor demand that starts in October and lasts until March is increasing income options for the poorest households, compared to the previous months. However, low international coffee prices are likely to lead to a decreased level of coffee harvest related income, decreasing food access for certain households.

Irregular rainfall has caused floods as well as rain deficit in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. The dry corridor has been particularly affected by the rain deficit during Primera and Postrera seasons, leading to losses and yield reduction in basic grains production, including Central areas of Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala. The rest of the areas show a normal crop development.

In Haiti, rainfall conditions continue to improve in all agro-ecological areas of the country, benefiting to the development of sorghum, groundnuts and maize. Bean harvests and land preparation for the winter campaign have begun. In the lower Artibonite, rice is been harvested with a good production outlook.

Maize prices in Central America are showing a seasonal decrease started in September after the Primera harvest and remain slightly above the average, except in Nicaragua where they remain significantly above average due to market disruptions from the ongoing political crisis. Bean prices follow a seasonal trend and remain slightly below average. In Haiti maize and black bean prices show a stable trend while imported rice remains above average.

Until January 2019, the dry corridor of Central America and certain areas in Haiti (Nord, Nord-Est and Ouest) that were affected by the rain deficit are classified in Stress (IPC, Phase 2), while the rest of the region faces Minimum (IPC, Phase 1) food insecurity.