Subsistence farmers in Central America and some larger-scale farming operations in the Dry Corridor have experienced crop losses as high as 50-75 per cent due to irregular weather conditions, including high temperatures, below-average rain and protracted dry spells.
This low crop yield has sparked concerns of increased food insecurity, as it is the second consecutive year of poor first season harvests following the severe drought of 2018. This drought led to the loss of 280,000 hectares of bean and maize in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua and affected food security for more than 2 million people.
The significant crop losses may severely affect peoples access to food and increase the risk of malnutrition.
The Dry Corridor is a tropical dry forest region on the Pacific Coast of Central America, extending from southern Mexico to Panama.
