Browse Honduras Daily Stories

Honduras's international reserves reached $11.85 billion as of mid-September 2026, covering 6.7 months of imports — 1.1 months more than a year earlier, the Central Bank reported.

Economist Amparo Canales says just 10 of Honduras's 105 budget institutions control over 70% of resources and urges officials to review 2026 spending patterns—which have reached only 60% execution by late September—before allocating funds for 2027.

A 30-egg carton sells for 115 lempiras (about $4.60) at Tegucigalpa's Farmers Market, with promotional prices as low as 90 lempiras, though shoppers say broader cost-of-living pressures persist.

Fosdeh researcher Jorge Henríquez warns that sustained inflation is forcing Honduran families to reduce food intake and nutrition, shift to cheaper staples, and take out loans to cover basic monthly expenses.

Honduras's maquila exports fell 8.0% year-over-year through July 2026 to $2.91 billion, driven by a $221.3 million decline in textile and apparel sales to the US and reduced electrical-harness shipments, with industry leaders warning of global trade reconfiguration.

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.

Central Bank President Roberto Lagos said the 25-basis-point increase in Honduras's monetary policy rate will not immediately or sharply raise credit costs, as the bank is managing the adjustment gradually and the full transmission to borrowing rates typically takes about six months.

Falling global coffee prices driven by Brazil's record harvest are squeezing Honduran producers, though an expected 1 million additional quintals (about 45,000 metric tons) of production this year may partially offset lower per-unit earnings.

Food prices across Honduras's basic basket are climbing due to fuel costs and weather damage, threatening families' ability to afford traditional holiday meals in December, warns a food-security researcher at UNAH.

Honduras exported 630 metric tons of fine and aromatic cacao through September 2026, generating $2.8 million in revenue, with most shipments bound for Central America and about 70 processing companies adding value to the crop.

Honduras's private-sector council will analyze the draft national budget to assess how funds will be spent, whether increases go toward productive investment or routine expenses, and how the government will finance a $700 million bond payment due in January.

Dante Mossi, former BCIE president, called on Congress to review how the government has spent 2026 funds and clarify priorities before approving the 455-billion-lempira (about $18.2 billion) 2027 budget, citing concerns over electricity costs, health-sector management, and diesel inflation.

Honduras is projected to receive $13 billion in remittances by year-end 2026—a 20% increase from 2025—but economists warn the country's heavy dependence on this income leaves over 300,000 families vulnerable if the flow declines.

Only four of Banasupro's 100 distribution points have eggs available at the agreed price of L95 per carton, two weeks after the government promised nationwide rollout, while market prices remain at L120–150.

Honduras's economy expanded 4.8% in the first seven months of 2026, officials said, driven by employment generation, consumer spending, and business activity that sustained growth momentum through mid-year.

The Honduran private-sector council (Cohep) is calling for the 2027 national budget of roughly 457 billion lempiras to prioritize productive investment and job creation over current spending, citing concerns about low public-investment execution.

Miguel Aguilar, president of the STENEE electrical workers' union, says Hondurans are exhausted by rolling blackouts driven by drought, low reservoir levels, and diesel shortages, and urges the government to pursue long-term fixes—including over 1,800 megawatts of new generation capacity rather than the 600 megawatts announced.

President Asfura announced plans to bid out approximately 600 megawatts of new electric-generation capacity to reduce reliance on costlier spot-market power and lower electricity costs, while reporting his administration has halved the overdue payments owed to power generators.

Honduras projects the 2026–2027 coffee harvest, beginning in October, could exceed 7.5 million sacks and generate over $2.4 billion in export revenue if favorable weather holds and international prices stay above $300 per unit.

Finance Minister Emilio Hernández Hércules and Central Bank President Roberto Lagos are traveling to Washington to advance Honduras's sixth IMF program review and pursue new Millennium Account funding, citing favorable macroeconomic indicators and a reduction in economic risk.

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.

An audit of the Agricultural Marketing Institute's grain reserves in La Lima found pest damage in corn and hardening in beans that render part of the stockpile unsafe for human consumption, though officials say they are replenishing strategic reserves with 60,000 additional quintals (about 2,700 metric tons) purchased from local producers.

Following passage of the Energy Justice Law, approximately 10 companies are planning new investments in Honduras, including a $400 million light manufacturing project in Choloma, with officials citing energy-sector reforms as a key enabler for business confidence.

Honduras's electric-sector overhaul, which restructures ENEE and addresses transmission infrastructure and technical losses, will take at least two years to meaningfully reduce blackouts while the government executes infrastructure investments and tackles the utility's 120-billion-lempira debt.

Escalating international crude prices and Middle East tensions risk pushing up fuel costs and inflation in Honduras, squeezing household budgets and business operating costs across the import-dependent economy.

Honduras's economic cabinet will meet with the International Monetary Fund next week in Washington to negotiate a new three-year agreement (2027–2029) as the Asfura administration closes, alongside discussions with the Millennium Challenge Corporation on 2027 funding.

Economist Santiago Herrera warns that cancellation of the US Temporary Protected Status for Hondurans could reduce remittance inflows by up to $380 million, threatening households dependent on those transfers and straining the country's ability to reabsorb returned workers.

Finance Minister Emilio Hernández says Honduras may qualify for Millennium Challenge Account funds, though 2025's fiscal challenges—legislative delays, missed economic targets, and payment arrears—could affect eligibility; a cabinet delegation will travel to Washington next week to discuss the account and International Monetary Fund issues.

The Régimen de Aportaciones Privadas (RAP), Honduras's private pension fund, expects to hold nearly L50 billion (about $2 billion) in assets by December, all belonging to enrolled workers, and has cut housing-loan rates to 9–10.5% to boost homeownership and construction activity.

Honduras's agricultural sector is reporting significant losses from adverse weather, with corn production down roughly 30% across evaluated plots and livestock output declining 10–40%; the Agriculture Ministry is distributing 20 million lempiras (about $800,000) in feed aid and crop incentives to affected farmers and ranchers.