Hugo Flores, vice-minister for Agriculture, commented that the purchase of the beans is being carried out as a preventative measure to ensure stocks are sufficient to cope with the possibility of crop failures due to torrential rains.

Flores explained that this time produce will not be exported from Nicaragua since the country's government has said that it will not export also in case of crop failures," reports Elsalvador.com.

Source: elsalvador.com

More on this topic

El Salvador to Receive 90,000 Hundredweight of Chinese Beans

April 2011

The country has already seen 180,000 hundredweight of beans arrive on its shores this year, 40% more than in the same period in 2010, which has stabilized prices.

On April 20, 75% of the 90,000 hundred weight bean shipment will arrive, which have been purchased from China, according to Guillermo López Suárez, head of El Salvador's Agriculture and Farming Ministry (MAG in Spanish).

El Salvador to Import 25 Thousand Bean Quintals

October 2010

Without defining the country which will be purchased from, the Ministry of Agriculture announced the transaction in order to alleviate the shortage of grain.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Hugo Flores, stated that Mexico, United States and even Nicaragua, as potential seller countries.

El Salvador Evaluates Bean and Corn Purchase

July 2010

The country's Farming Ministry (MAG) is considering whether to purchase grains outside Central America in order to avoid food scarcity.

The heavy rains have led to corn losses and put the bean harvest at risk. There is also the added risk of reduced harvests in Nicaragua, El Salvador's main bean supplier.

El Salvador to Double Bean Imports

November 2009

In light of important losses caused by tropical storm Ida, the country plans to double bean imports in 2010.

During the past years, imports have accounted for 10% of total consumption, reported the Agriculture Ministry. This figure would increase to 20% in 2010.

"According to the Ministry, the most problematic is red bean.