After almost 100 days of restrictions on the mobility of people and the closure of some productive activities, the Guatemalan private sector is asking the authorities to start evaluating the gradual opening of businesses under strict protocols.
Due to the outbreak of covid-19, the authorities decreed the closure of several economic activities since mid-March, and up to date restrictions to the operation of some sectors are still in place.
Guatemalan businessmen believe that in order to reactivate economic activity in the country, it is necessary to restrict the number of people in public spaces and increase the number of tests performed on those who have signs of carrying the virus.
Because the area of stolen land in Guatemala has grown from about 10,000 hectares in the 1990s to 164,000 in 2018, losses in agricultural production caused by this phenomenon reached nearly $650 million last year.
The Chamber of Agriculture (Camagro) estimates that only in 2018, invasions of private property, mainly agricultural production farms, generated a negative impact equivalent to 0.6% of Gross Domestic Product.
The high logistic costs and the appreciation of the Quetzal against the dollar are two of the factors which, according to exporters, have prevented better performance from being achieved in recent years.
According to Agexport, exports of Guatemalan agricultural products in the last 6 years have registered very low growth, going from $2.96 billion in 2011 to $3.2 billion in 2016.In the same period, non-traditional agricultural products which registered a decrease were peeled sesame seeds (-14%), frozen peas (-6%), broccoli (-47%), frozen beans (-35%), tomatoes (-35% %), potatos (-48%), and mangos (-3%), among others.
The union projects a 3.7% growth in activity in the agricultural sector, after having achieved an estimated 3.2% increase in 2016.
From a statement issued by the Chamber of Agriculture:
As it does at the beginning of every year, the Chamber of Agriculture this morning presented its partners the results of an economic study on agricultural which includes estimates for economic growth in the agro sector in 2016 and growth expectations for 2017 located at 3.7%.
Originally from Costa Rica, 45,000 liters of fungicides used to combat rust will be available from 5 to 8 April in Guatemala's agroservices.
So reported Nils Leporowski, president of the National Coffee Association (Anacafe), adding that negotiations with five companies trading fungicides took over a month. Because it had the best prices Disagro Singenta was chosen for the distribution. The other companies who participated in the consultations were Tecún, Bayer and Duwest.
$300 million will be required for pest control alone, and more than $1 billion to renovate the plantations that have been affected.
The figures which have been gathered unofficially indicated that in excess of 1.7 million quintals of coffee have been destroyed by the fungus known as rust in Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador.
The president of the Coffee Exporters Association of Honduras (Adecafeh), Omar Acosta says that the loss in Honduras could reach two million quintals, "The Ihcafé says that no damage has been done, butwe do not understand why they are lying. They should have a plan for the country because it is a serious problem, we all know that there is a strong impact from rust and we believe there is a damage of between 25% and 30% of the crop, which amounts to two million quintals. "
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