In order to ensure supply for the domestic market, the government has announced that it is negotiating grain imports from Colombia and Ethiopia.
Friday, May 30, 2014
Given the reduction in the harvest in the months of December 2013 and January 2014, the Government of Honduras has announced that it will resort to importing beans as part of a strategic plan to ensure supplies in the coming months.
"'The spring harvest is not when the greatest amount of beans are collected, so we are prepared and we are analysing all the possibilities that are available to manage various trade scenarios'" said Alden Rivera, head of the Ministry of Economic Development (SDE), yesterday after announcing the possibility of importing grain from Ethiopia and Colombia. He said that Colombia, a country from which the product has been bought previously, has overproduction; and in the case of Ethiopia, "we find the beans to be sufficiently available and at an excellent price."
"So far, the government has bought beans in Nicaragua and Guatemala, according to statements by Rivera, with grain importers starting to bring in the Nicaraguan product in March. The Rivera minister said yesterday that the warehouses of the Honduran Institute for the Agricultural Market (IHMA) and popular commercial centres have enough grain to meet demand for the next 60 days. "
The Ministry of Agriculture has received a legislative endorsement to import the grain from outside of Central America in case of shortages during the second half of the year.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Agriculture:
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) asked MPs to issue Special and Transitional Provisions for Imports of Red Beans for Human Consumption, which would guarantee affordable prices for beans for the population, as well as supplying the domestic market, in case that the El Niño phenomenon affects the harvest of this basic grain.
Businessmen are complaining about a shortage of the grain in the market due to stricter phytosanitary measures designed to prevent the entry of beans with soil residues on them.
The National Chamber of Industrial Crops (CANINGRA) and the National Association of Bean Industrialists (ANIFRI) have separately warned that there could be supply shortages in the short term if the measure preventing the entry of products with soil residues coming into the country remains. In February and May the entry about 2,000 tons of red beans from Nicaragua was prevented for having breached this rule.
The 2013-2014 crops in both countries are not large enough to meet the demand of the respective populations.
Laprensa.com.ni reports that in Honduras " ... basic grain producers are warning that importing beans will be necessary, due to the low yield obtained in the 2013-2014 cycle in the country.
In order to ensure domestic supply and prevent price hikes, the government has announced it will import beans and corn.
Guillermo López Suárez, minister of agriculture and livestock indicated that importing beans "is necessary" to prevent shortages. The beans will be bought from China, South Africa and Ethiopia and the maize will be imported from Mexico and South America.
×
ok
5883Government Procurement Opportunities in the region
español
5883
