With an estimated production of 48.4 million bushels, the 2010/2011 harvest begins next Monday.
The estimated production for this crop is lower than that of 2009-2010, which was 50 million bushels, due to excessive rains, according to information from the Sugar Association of Guatemala (ASAZGUA).
"Cane milling will determine the yield per hectare harvested; fungus and humidity which affected crops were focalized and did not extend to other crops," said the general manager of ASAZGUA, Armando Boesche.
Despite losses due to the heavy rains, an agricultural association of basic grains producers has assured corn supplies.
For the forthcoming harvest, 12.9 million hundredweight of corn production is predicted.
The president of the Honduran National Association of Basic Grain Producers (Prograno in Spanish), Luis Donaire, told La Tribuna that they, "do not expect problems due to the floods last month or due to the heavy rain that may fall in September and October".
As of 29 July, 357,250 hundredweight of coffee from the 2010/11 harvest at an average price of $156.42 have been sold.
The 2010/11 harvest begins on 1 October this year and ends on 30 September 2011.
Two months in, it is estimated that total harvests for the year will be 2.1 million hundredweight, meaning that sold to date equates to 20%.
Tomás Bonilla from the Salvadoran Coffee Association (CSC) indicates that this percentage could be higher, "since it is possible that some producers have not yet reported their sales," reports Laprensagrafica.com.
The unexpected increase in rice harvests from 2010 to 2011 is causing issues for the drying and storage of the grain.
The issue first appeared in the south of the country where a record harvest of 43,000 metric tons was recorded, 22% higher than average.
Óscar Campos, president of the Costa Rican association of rice producers (Conarroz), commented that this is causing queues of trucks in the region’s processing industries.
Costa Rica has harvested more rice than usual, and processing plants are incapable of handling this increase.
“The tipping point will be August, when the south zone and Upala are harvested. Rice grains cannot be stored at manufacturing plants, as once it is harvested it must be immediately dried”, reported Nacion.com.
In 2006/07, Costa Rica supplied 50% of its own domestic demand.
Agatha tropical storm passed through the country; it left 10.000 hectares of maize, beans, rice and sorghum completely flooded.
The most affected areas are the Lepaguare valley, Guayape and Olancho, explained Edgardo Leiva, executive director of the Honduran Farmers Federation (Fenagh).
According to Leiva, ‘the government must directly support the sector’, because ‘in these emergency decrees, the State’s sole concern is rebuilding infrastructure, but the agricultural sector is severely affected and there is no production incentive planned for this year’.
The country would output 15% more red beans and white corn when comparing to the previous cycle, according to estimates by the Agriculture Ministry.
Minister Manuel Sevilla explained that these improved forecasts are in response to increased rainfall in El Salvador.
“Increased rainfall during April means that weather phenomena ‘El Niño’, which causes droughts, could be losing strength earlier than anticipated”, reported Laprensagrafica.com.
Anacafé, the country's Coffee Association, assured that exports for 2009/10 will be between 4.43 and 4.69 million quintals.
This is below the original forecast of 4.77 million quintals.
Ricardo Villanueva, president of the National Coffee Association, explained that “this downward revision happens as we expect irregular rain for the next winter… and that … some coffee growers were unable to fertilize their plantations adequately”.
Guatemalan rice growers produced 670 thousand quintals, 8.23% more than the 619 thousand quintals of the 2008 harvest.
Lack of rain prevented the sector from reaching an expected 30% increase, explained Luis Mazariegos, manager of the Guatemalan Rice Association (Arrozgua).
"The executive commented that despite the increase, rice production is not enough to cover domestic demand", reported Prensalibre.com.
Guatemala's sugar growers expect to harvest 48.5 million quintals in the 2009/10 period.
Mario Yarzebski, spokesperson for Asazgua, the association of sugar growers of Guatemala, remarked that these projections are conservative, and that in general terms they expect similar results to 2008/09.
"220.000 hectares were planted with sugar cane in both periods", reported Prensalibre.com.
Workers are relocating to sugar and coffee plantations, as there are less jobs in other sectors, due to loss of harvests and a reduction in reserves of basic grain.
Other reasons mentioned are a slowdown in the construction industry and the closure of several textile factories, where 11.000 jobs were lost.
Armando Boesche, Manager at the Sugar Growers Association of Guatemala, explained that "...
The country will export during the current harvest 4.8 million bags of 46 kilos each, 6,6% more than the previous season, 2008/2009.
Aaccording to the National Association of Coffee (Anacafé).
This level of exports will represent a $600 million revenue, 8,87% more than the $56.4 million obtained in the previous season, states Prensalibre.com.
From the current coffee season, which spans from October 2009 to September 2010, 21% has already been sold.
350.000 quintals have already been traded at an average price of $145, ensuring exports for $50 million, reported the Salvadoran Coffee Council (CSC).
"Tomás Bonilla heads the Department of Exports of CSC. According to him, traded volume is still low, because growers might be awaiting better prices, even though the current market is favorable: for the 2008/09 harvest, the average future price per quintal was $132", reported Laprensagrafica.com.
8 million quintals of corn have been lost, revealed a study by Camagro.
The findings by the Salvadoran Agroindustrial Chamber (Camagro) could imply a shortage of corn in the national market, starting July 2010.
"Authorities from the Agriculture Ministry had forecasted a production of 17 million quintals of corn. However, real output could be 7 or 8 million quintals less, due to crops damaged by an irregular winter", reported Elsalvador.com.