Honduras authorizes rice seed imports to ensure national supply

The Secretariat of Agriculture and Livestock (SAG) has authorized the importation of certified rice seeds from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic to ensure national supply and strengthen productivity. SAG official Moisés Abraham Molina stated the measure is a strategy to guarantee the availability of one of the country's most consumed grains.

To organize the sector, SAG is implementing a census of rice producers, who will receive membership cards required for grain delivery and access to productive credits through the National Agricultural Development Bank (Banadesa). Preliminary data shows a 15% increase in the current rice harvest compared to last year, with projections of 600,000 to 700,000 quintals by the end of the season.

Agricultural expert Guillermo Cerritos noted that grain imports are critical due to the anticipated impact of the El Niño phenomenon, which is expected to significantly reduce national harvests. He highlighted that rice import dependency reached 92% last year. Additionally, there is a projected need to import 17 million quintals of yellow corn to meet agro-industrial demand, as the sector remains entirely dependent on imports for this grain.