Corn supply and purchasing power issues hit Argentina and Honduras

In Argentina, a Coninagro monitor shows that corn's purchasing power is diverging. By June 2026, producers need 9 kg of corn to buy a litre of diesel, a 34 % rise from a year earlier and 51 % above the five‑year average. Transport costs have also risen, with a 300‑km freight now requiring 227 kg of corn per tonne, up 12 % YoY. Fertiliser prices fell to $733 per tonne, improving the exchange to 4.1 kg of corn per kilogram of fertiliser, an 18 % monthly gain, yet overall purchasing power remains 29 % lower than the previous year, pressured by regional conflicts.

In Honduras, the Secretariat of Agriculture and Livestock (SAG) says national grain reserves are adequate despite drought damage in the dry corridor. To secure supply, the government will import about 5.5 million quintals of rice and 18‑19 million quintals of yellow corn, which currently accounts for 100 % of feed corn imports. White corn production is expected to reach 800 000‑1 400 000 quintals at a negotiated price of 680 lempiras per quintal, with freight costs from Tegucigalpa to processing zones covered.

Both countries face challenges in corn availability and cost, influencing domestic agriculture and food security.