Because of the scarcity of rain in the region known as the Dry Corridor, producers in the country estimate that in the first cycle of the year has lost about 30% of corn crops and 35% of beans.
Directors of the Union of Agricultural Producers of Nicaragua (Upanic) explained that for the so-called "first production", Estelí lost 50% of the bean crop, and in Nueva Segovia fell between 40% and 50%.
Between 2013 and 2014 coffee yields decreased from 11.9 hundredweight produced per acre to 11.8, rice fell from 89.7 to 71.4 hundredweight, and beans fell from 12.8 to 11.8.
Reports from the Central Bank of Nicaragua show that also yields of sesame also decreased, going from 11.5 hundredweight per acre in 2013 to 8 hundredweight per hectare in 2014. With regard to coffee, Nicaragua is one of the countries with the lowest yield per hectare planted "... surpassed by El Salvador, but below Honduras, Costa Rica and Guatemala."
In the case of beans, the goal was to plant 110 thousand hectares, but 112,000 were planted. In corn, the number of hectares increased from 304,000 to 315,000.
From a press release from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry:
Production expectations in both beans and corn, are excellent assured the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Ariel Bucardo, during a meeting of the Bean Council, involving producers, exporters and government officials.
Contrary to expectations, the bad weather that affected the harvest has not negatively impacted the production of beans.
Bean production in the period September-November grew by 30% compared to the previous reporting period May-September.
Increased production has enabled producers to increase exports, which amounted to 120 thousand quintals in the aforementioned period, according to the Association of Producers and Exporters of Nicaragua, APEN.
Heavy rains may affect crops of coffee beans and sugar cane.
Producers have been reporting serious effects on the roads leading to plantations and significant problems on the inner walkways, which will makes access to the crops and their removal at harvest time difficult.
"Michael Healy, director of the Union of Agricultural Producers of Nicaragua (UPANIC in Spanish), told the press that the coffee crop this year will begin in the middle of an emergency created by the storm, which will create large losses for growers."
Weather and price conditions bode well for the current crop, which is scheduled for mid August.
Mid-August will see the start of corn and beans harvesting, which is expected to be very positive due to the favorable climate and production conditions.
These good conditions, coupled with the prices of grains, have allowed authorities to foresee very good results from the harvest of about 7.7 million quintals of white corn, 1.41 million quintals of beans and 1.91 million quintals of upland rice .
Record output is expected for basic grains, as well as an increase in cattle products.
Ariel Bucardo Rocha is the Agricultural Ministry of Nicaragua, and he expects corn production to reach 6.900.000 quintals for the premium seeding period.
"Regarding premium bean production, the Ministry is expecting 1.3 million quintals, from 100.000 blocks. For rice, the institution is expecting 1.150.000 quintals, and sees possible, along the harvest, to increase output in over 500.000 additional quintals", reported newspaper "El Nuevo Diario".