As a result of a resurgence of the flying locust plague that has been reported in recent weeks, Guatemala has decided to declare a State of Phytosanitary Emergency.
There has been a new outbreak of the flying locust plague identified under the scientific name "Shistocerca piceifrons (Walker)" directly affecting the department of Peten, so a State of Emergency is issued, explains one of the recitals of the Ministerial Agreement 18-2021, of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (Maga).
Due to the new outbreak of flying locusts, farmers in the department of Peten report that the pest has destroyed large areas of corn and bean crops.
Days ago, the International Regional Organization for Agricultural Health (OIRSA) warned that a locust swarm entered Guatemala from the border area with Yucatan, Mexico.
After reports of flying locusts entering Guatemala from the border area with the Yucatan, Mexico, Salvadoran authorities have declared themselves on alert because of the threat they could represent to local crops.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) is prepared to face the threat of a flying locust (Schistocerca piceifrons piceifrons) that could cause damage or loss to crops in our territory, details an official statement dated January 12, 2021.
Because of the humidity of the soils, a phenomenon that was caused by the heavy rains generated by the passage of the tropical depressions Eta and Iota, local authorities warn that the crops could be affected by diseases and pests.
According to representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA), crops such as coffee, bananas and vegetables could face the greatest risks.
Since the pest represents a threat and is capable of destroying crops in a very short time, moving large distances in one day, a state of phytosanitary emergency was declared in the country due to a significant increase in the number of flying locusts.
In Guatemala, onion crops were attacked by a virus transmitted by the pest Trip Tabaci, and it is estimated that between 50% and 70% of the crops that supply the local market have been lost.
Representatives of the Federation of Agricultural Associations of Guatemala (Fasagua) said that the problem was registered in production areas of the departments of Santa Rosa, Jalapa and Jutiapa, which supply the country in the season from December to May.
Because of the weather, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador report annual losses in basic grain and vegetable production of $196 million, $140 million and $37 million, respectively.
According to estimates by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Central American countries that are part of the Northern Triangle, derived from climatic phenomena, mainly drought, annually record total losses in the agricultural sector close to $337 million.
Because of the drought that is affecting several areas in Central America, in El Salvador, agricultural producers estimate that at least 6.3 million hundredweight of corn, valued at $39 million, have been lost.
Representatives from the Salvadoran Chamber of Small and Medium Agricultural Producers (Campo) said that due to the drought, which lasted up to 40 days in some areas of the country, they have lost more than 6 million hundredweight of corn, valued at $38.6 million.
Due to the disasters caused by the eruptions of the Fuego Volcano, it is estimated that losses in plantations in the three affected departments add up to over $12 million.
According to information from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA), the affected departments were Chimaltenango, Escuintla and Sacatepéquez, where coffee plantations, basic grains, vegetables and fruit trees were damaged.
To compensate for the reduction in local production, the government plans to allocate $8.8 million for the purchase of 39,000 hundredweight of beans and 230,000 hundredweight of corn.
In the period from January to August 2014, the government imported maize from the United States and Mexico, and in the case of beans, 60% was purchased from the US, 20.3% from Canada, 11.4% from China, 6.7% from Nicaragua and the rest 1.5% from Argentina.
Compared to the 2,400 cases collected in the summer crop, the winter rains reduced tomato production in up to 75%.
After noting that the local market is being well supplied, the president of the Federation of Agricultural Associations of Guatemala (Fasagua), Eddie Mendoza, was concerned about the amount of tomatoes entering the country coming in from Mexico, which is not supposed to be more than 4 truckloads per month, but he believes that this is the amount entering per day.
The financial cost of the heavy rains seen this year equates to 4.1% of the country's GDP.
The statistic comes from a report by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, ECLAC (CEPAL in Spanish), which analyzed data on damage caused to 20 September.
"Tropical storm Agatha combined with May's violent eruption of the Pacaya volcano alone caused losses valued at around $1 billion," reports Prensalibre.com.