With the technologies available it is possible to use satellite photos to detect types of surfaces and roofs, objects, land use and variance in farmland, and then analyze the results and transform them into useful data for business decision making.
In the past, it was possible to establish whether an area was industrial, commercial, residential or agricultural by analyzing aerial images, but today, with the use of high-resolution satellite images, more information can be obtained.
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.
The International Regional Organization for Agricultural Health alerted the region's ministries of agriculture to outbreaks of the devastating Central American locust.
The Central American authorities were informed of the alert in a note issued by the Regional International Organization for Agricultural Health (OIRSA) during the first stage of rains that ended in September.
A guideline was issued prohibiting the planting of pineapple, banana, rice, grasses, oil palm and other monocultures in forest reserves, buffer zones, national parks, biological reserves, national wildlife refuges, wetlands and natural monuments.
According to Directive No. 0006-2020 of June 26 issued by the Ministry of Environment and Energy (Minae), it exempts forestry plantations from the prohibitions contained in the document.
FAO estimates that by the end of 2019 the production of grain in the region will be 29.8 million tons, below the average volume reported in the last five years.
The decline in the volume harvested will be because of the rainfall deficits that this year affected grain crops in most countries, reported the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
During August and September, Costa Rica's monthly agricultural activity index reported a 0.16% and 0.82% year-on-year increase, respectively, reversing the downward trend recorded in previous months.
According to data from the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR), between October 2018 and July 2019 the Monthly Index of Agricultural Activity (IMAGRO) registered negative year-on-year variations.
Since October 1, in Guatemala, the Technical Regulation of Biosafety of Living Modified Organisms has been in force, which will allow the importation, commercialization and sowing of modified seeds known as transgenic, for human and animal consumption.
Until now, Guatemala could only import food that was the product of crops with modified seeds. With the entry into force of the regulation, the entry of transgenic seeds for marketing and planting purposes will be authorized.
During 2018, the area under coffee cultivation in the country totaled 86,765 hectares, 4% less than the total area reported in 2017.
According to the National Agricultural Survey (ENA), prepared by the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC), between 2017 and 2018 the area dedicated to coffee cultivation fell from 90,725 hectares to 86,764 hectares.
Last year, the main regional crop sold abroad was coffee, with $2.671 million, followed by banana, with $2.594 million, pineapple, with $1.097 million and sugar, with $722 million.
Data from the Trade Intelligence Unit at CentralamericaData:
The main coffee export destinations were the U.S., Germany, Belgium, Italy, Japan and Canada, which together represent 70% of the volume exported by the region, equivalent to approximately $2,050 million. [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with the graphic"]
At the beginning of 2019 there were 44,500 hectares dedicated to fruit cultivation in Costa Rica, however, because of high production costs and a drop in international prices, by 2021 the cultivated area could fall to 38,000 hectares.
Directors of the National Chamber of Pineapple Producers and Exporters (Canapep) explained that the fall in the price of pineapple internationally is because of increased competition, since countries such as Colombia, Ecuador and Panama, have managed to gain market share in the U.S. and Europe.
In the context of a drop in production, in Costa Rica the government decreed a rise from $36.18 to $37.65, the price of a 73.6 kg sack of rice in bulk placed in the industrial plant.
The agreement modifying the price to the rice producer was published on June 5 in La Gaceta, and the government's action is taken in a context of low local production, because between the 2016-217 and 2017-2018 harvests, the volume produced decreased by 21%.
During the period from May to June this year, rainfall in the region is forecast to be below normal, leading to increased crop pests and a shortage of animal feed.
The International Regional Organization for Agricultural Health (OIRSA) reported that because of the lack of rain is predicted a greater presence of pests in crops of corn, beans and sorghum, due to projected low rainfall from May to July 2019, compared to the historical average.
During the first nine months of 2018, the main regional crop exported was coffee, with $2,493 million, followed by banana, with $1,939 million, pineapple, with $825 million and sugar, with $645 million.
Figures from the Trade Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData: [GRAFICA caption="Click to interact with graphic"]
Because of the decline in the international price of sugar in recent years, agricultural businessmen in Guatemala have decided to migrate to more profitable crops, such as bananas and African palm.
Last year, Guatemalan banana exports totaled $815 million, 4% more than the $782 million reported in 2017, a rise that is partly caused by the increase in the cultivated area in the country.
Because of the dry season and the rise in temperature, Costa Rica expects an increase in pests in crops such as melon, watermelon, courgette, chili, tomato, beans and cucumbers, among others.
Authorities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) informed that the climatic conditions foreseen for the coming months are associated with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation phenomenon.
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