A report on the situation in Guatemala

Despite seasonal improvements, atypical debts and high food and transportation prices will limit the possibility that rural households will recover their livelihoods, which is why they will be classified in Stress until May 2022. The Corridor Seco, the Altiplano and the areas most affected by storms Eta and Iota continue to be classified in Crisis until May 2022, since they have a greater deficit, accumulated by natural events and losses of First class crops in the Corridor Seco and Postrera in the east.

 During December, rural households that are mainly engaged in day labor in the agricultural sector are in the season of high demand for labor and are generating income that improves access to food, both in the national territory and in Honduras in the cutting of coffee and in Mexico in sugar cane and coffee.  Some territories have reported an increase in the price of wages linked to the rise in transport prices and the increase in sales prices related to the improvement in international prices.

 The total accumulated amount of remittances in 2021 is already for November 21 percent higher than the previous year and 48 percent higher than the average of the last five years.  Although remittances do not reach the poorest households directly, they do boost the national and local economies and contribute to the generation of employment in this group.

 The prices of white corn and black beans continue to be above the average of the last five years, at 26.9 and 19.3 percent, respectively, pressured by transportation costs and agricultural inputs.  The markets are supplied with national product with recent harvest from the north and east, as well as stored product and from Mexico, although wholesalers report a lower flow of corn from Mexico.  Losses are recorded focused on the Postrera bean harvest, mainly in subsistence producers in the lowlands.  Taking into account the climate forecasts, this reduction would be recovered with the production of Apante.

 Until the month of March, average rains are expected in the national territory with above-average rains in the Northern Transversal Strip.  With the onset of average rains, the Primera planting season would start normally.  Cold fronts are also expected, slightly above normal, with associated strong winds, as well as low temperatures in the highlands that could negatively affect plantings of vegetables, roots and tubers.

_{Source & credit: FEWSNet}