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.
In the Dominican Republic, 444,000 land tasks are being prepared for cutting and crossing.
Dominican Republic Government purchase AGRICULTURA-CCC-LR-2020-0001:
"For the execution of these works the following must be provided:
- Provide tractors with the quality, conditions and capacity for the works considered in this tender, which are provided with independent power take-off, three-point linkage with hydraulic control of lifting, hydraulically assisted steering, disc brakes on the rear wheels, complete 12-volt electrical equipment and driver's seat with suspension and adjustable position.
Over two years have passed since criminal groups invaded productive land in Nicaragua, and although there have been promises to restore the rights of the owners, up to date 29 properties remain taken.
In the context of the political and social crisis that erupted in the country in 2018, at the end of June of that year it was reported that at least ten private properties in Rivas, Matagalpa, Chinandega and Managua had been taken over by criminals.
The government has confirmed the presence of the devouring locust in the state of nymph in the Costa Azul hamlet in the municipality of Tecoluca, department of San Vicente.
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.
For the 2018-2019 agricultural cycle, the cultivated area in the country was 925,101 hectares, 14% less than the 1.07 million reported for the 2017-2018 cycle.
Data from the National Agricultural Survey (ENA), prepared by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), show that in the last agricultural cycle about 149,000 hectares were not cultivated with corn.
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.
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.
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.
For the 2017-2018 agricultural cycle, the cultivated area in Guatemala was 1.07 million hectares, 48% more than the 725 thousand reported in the 2014-2015 cycle.
Data from the National Agricultural Survey 2017-2018, carried out by the National Institute of Statistics, show that 10.1% of the area dedicated to crops in the country is used for corn, 1.3% for beans and less than 1% for rice.
In Nicaragua, a company dedicated to the production of passion fruit which planned to invest $20 million in the coming years, reported that last weekend armed groups invaded their land.
The Swiss origin company, Chimaco S.A., reported that the demo facility located at kilometer 124.5 of the highway between Chinandega and León was taken over by armed groups who prevented investors from entering.
In El Salvador, a constitutional reform has been proposed to eliminate the limit of 245 hectares of rustic land that currently, at most, a natural or legal person can possess.
Deputies from the ARENA, GANA and PDC parties presented to the Legislative Assembly a draft agreement to amend Article 105 of the Political Constitution, which prevents natural or legal persons from possessing more than 245 hectares of rustic land.
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