Agriculture

An estimated 80% of Honduran farmers operate outside the formal economy, leaving them unable to access regulated credit and forcing many to rely on informal lenders at unfavorable rates, a business leader says.

Honduras's agriculture, fishing, forestry, and livestock sector grew 4.8%, led by crops of coffee, bananas, and fruit, with additional gains from shrimp and tilapia fishing, livestock, and poultry.

Dairy producers in Catacamas, Olancho, say they receive only 10–11 lempiras per liter (about $0.40–$0.44) while production costs have risen, and are calling on the Agriculture Ministry to support the sector or risk losing producers.

Honduras's $750,000 cloud-seeding program, designed to combat drought, has finished its originally planned 20 flights and will carry out two additional missions using 180 liters of remaining silver iodide, for a total of 22 flights.

Agriculture Ministry plans to invest 350–400 million lempiras (roughly $14–16 million) in a nationwide irrigation program to install over 500 drip-irrigation systems, drill wells, and rehabilitate existing infrastructure, targeting 800–900 farmers across drought-prone regions including the dry corridor and benefiting an estimated 1,600 hectares.

Honduras's coffee industry is working to georeference farms across 15 departments before a January EU environmental regulation takes effect, though officials acknowledge the deadline is tight given that most farms are small and scattered, with 50% of Honduran coffee destined for European markets.

Agriculture Minister Moisés Molina says three cloud-seeding flights have shown favorable results in drought-prone areas, with half the planned flights still to come and officials evaluating whether to expand the program, which is partly funded by sugar and vegetable producers.

Rice producers warn the 2026 harvest could fall to just 150,000–160,000 quintals (about 6,800–7,300 metric tons), down from 446,000 in 2025, due to lack of price supports and competition from imports, leaving farmers unable to finance seeds and inputs.

Brazilian investors are analyzing the feasibility of commercial soy production and construction of a biodiesel plant in Honduras, potentially adding an agricultural processing sector to the country's economy.

Juticalpa Mayor Wagner Castro said that high fuel prices and severe drought are damaging agricultural output across Olancho, with corn and bean crops hit hardest and livestock suffering malnutrition from lack of feed.

Rice growers in Colón say mechanized land remains unseeded due to lack of financing, crop insurance, and guaranteed prices, threatening to reduce output below 2026 targets.

Honduras has completed eight cloud-seeding flights using silver iodide in drought-stricken regions including the Dry Corridor, with twelve operations remaining pending suitable atmospheric conditions; farmers report heavier rainfall after roughly ten months of drought.

Rep. Erika Madrid (Intibucá) expressed concern that smuggled Guatemalan potatoes are flooding Honduras's western agricultural markets, undercutting local farmers who already earn minimal profit, and proposed activating soil-analysis labs to detect the product's origin.

Honduras is hosting the 68th annual meeting of the Central American cooperative program for crop and livestock improvement in Tela from September 28 to October 2, bringing together over 150 research projects aimed at boosting food production amid climate challenges.

Honduras completed its first cloud-seeding operation on September 26, dispersing silver iodide from an aircraft over moisture-laden clouds to stimulate rainfall in drought-affected areas, with about 20 additional flights planned over the next two to three months.

Honduras's farm and livestock federation warns of an expected severe drought in November and urges producers to use current rains in September and October to plant grains and stockpile feed, as agricultural output has fallen 35–40 percent.

Agricultural producers say the fall planting season faces obstacles without adequate financing, crop insurance, and climate protections, with fears of reduced acreage and threats to grain supplies as drought continues to damage current crops.

The government is beginning a three-month cloud-seeding operation using silver iodide to stimulate rainfall in agricultural and water-supply areas, with a Mexican company conducting up to 20 flights at a cost of roughly $600,000–$700,000.

The National Congress Agriculture Committee and producers' associations agreed to develop financial products tailored to small-livestock farmers and establish an inter-agency technical working group to coordinate production, health, and financing assistance.

A congressional food-security committee met with agricultural ministry experts to review the Honduras Zero-Hunger 2035 program, which aims to integrate a national irrigation plan into the 2027 budget and advance Honduras's commitment to ending hunger by 2035.

Honduras has signed an agreement to build water-harvesting reservoirs in drought-prone agricultural areas, with technical studies identifying about 2,000 suitable sites nationwide to help farmers and ranchers cope with recurring dry periods.

Agriculture Minister Moisés Molina announced a cloud-seeding program using 2,000 liters of silver iodide across 20 flights to boost rainfall over roughly two million hectares affected by drought, targeting the dry corridor and reservoirs supplying Tegucigalpa.

Drought-driven scarcity is pushing up prices at the Feria del Agricultor, with broccoli, potatoes, sweet potato, and pineapple all rising while onions, tomatoes, and beets hold steady.

The Agriculture Ministry confirmed Honduras will launch an artificial rainfall-stimulation program targeting up to two million hectares affected by drought, with priority given to farmers and families in the Dry Corridor region.

The president of Honduras's grain producers association is urging Congress to exempt the 15% tax on grain drying, citing a sharp rise in production costs and the impact on over a million quintals (about 45,000 metric tons) ahead of the September harvest season.

Ocotepeque farmers asked agricultural authorities to establish regulations on potato and onion sales to combat illegal imports that undercut domestic prices; the Agriculture Ministry is drafting new rules and plans to provide fertilizer support.

Agriculture Minister Moisés Molina says Honduras faces no food shortage and markets are adequately stocked despite recent weather damage, with new harvests expected from mid-September onward.

A severe drought devastating southern Honduras has destroyed crops, and farmers are pleading for rainfall in September to salvage the year's final harvest.

A severe drought in Guajiquiro, La Paz, has destroyed corn and bean crops for approximately 1,500 farming families across 44 communities, threatening food security and forcing residents to seek alternative income while the municipality requests 4.5 million lempiras monthly (about $180,000) in government assistance.

A severe drought in Caridad, Valle, has wiped out up to 100% of some harvests and depleted water supplies, affecting about 800 farmers, with the mayor warning that reduced local production could drive up food prices as dependence on outside sources grows.