El Salvador

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El Salvador
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Key Message Update December 2025 Near-average primera harvest and seasonal labor sustain food access Download the report
  • As of December 2025, food security conditions in El Salvador have improved compared to mid-year, primarily supported by an average primera maize harvest that is replenishing household stocks and temporary seasonal commercial crop harvest employment opportunities in rural areas. Agricultural labor demand for coffee and sugarcane harvesting from November 2025 to February 2026 provides a temporary boost to rural incomes  in crop-producing areas, improving localized food access for many poor households through the end of the year. Many poor households in the Dry Corridor that previously faced food shortages have temporarily benefited from the average primera harvest and are expected to minimally reduce their food consumption gaps until March 2026.
  • Despite an irregular start to the rainy season, delayed sowing, and above-average temperatures during the primera season, improved rainfall in July following the canícula replenished soil moisture and supported typical crop development. Vegetation conditions have improved since last month, with crop water needs largely met, resulting in average primera maize yields slightly above the five-year production average, replenishing household food stocks. Furthermore, national producers anticipate an above-average maize harvest in the 2025/26 cycle, supported by favorable weather conditions and government interventions such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock’s production program, which provides seeds, fertilizers, and fungicides. However, the postrera bean harvest was average to below average, constrained by erratic rainfall, dry spells, and heat stress from above-average temperatures, particularly in the Dry Corridor. 
  • Maize prices fell sharply in November 2025 after the delayed primera harvest but remain 20 percent above last year and the five-year average. Wholesale bean prices increased seasonally and remain 30 percent above the five-year average. Price relief is expected once the postrera harvest reaches markets, but until then, high bean prices will continue to constrain household food access and consumption. Fuel prices remained stable in December, with minimal month-on-month variation, limiting transport cost increases and supporting relative stability in food markets. Despite these factors, staple grain prices remain elevated compared to historical averages, continuing to limit purchasing power for poor households.
  • Temperatures will remain above average until March 2026, after which temperatures are forecasted to return to average. Rainfall is expected to remain erratic through April; however, overall average rainfall totals and average temperatures will support an average start to primera sowing in 2026. Employment will decline after the coffee harvest ends in March, reducing rural incomes. Starting in April, food security conditions are expected to deteriorate as household food stocks are depleted, and rural labor demand declines. Most poor households will meet their minimum food needs, but increasingly rely on negative coping strategies, such as consuming less preferred foods, reducing meal size and frequency, and reducing dietary diversity. Subsistence farmers in the Dry Corridor in particular are likely to face food consumption gaps and deteriorating conditions from April to August 2026, during El Salvador’s lean season.
 Read the full analysis Actualización de mensajes clave Diciembre 2025 La cosecha de Primera cercana al promedio y el empleo estacional sostienen el acceso a los alimentos Download the report
  • A partir de diciembre de 2025, las condiciones de seguridad alimentaria en El Salvador han mejorado en comparación con mediados de año, principalmente debido a una cosecha promedio de maíz de Primera que está reponiendo las reservas de los hogares y a oportunidades temporales de empleo estacional en cultivos comerciales en las zonas rurales. La demanda de mano de obra agrícola para la cosecha de café y caña de azúcar entre noviembre de 2025 y febrero de 2026 brinda un impulso temporal a los ingresos rurales en las zonas productoras, mejorando el acceso local a los alimentos para muchos hogares pobres hasta finales de año. Muchos hogares pobres del Corredor Seco que anteriormente enfrentaban escasez de alimentos se han beneficiado temporalmente de la cosecha promedio de Primera y se espera que reduzcan mínimamente sus brechas de consumo de alimentos hasta marzo de 2026.
  • A pesar de un inicio irregular de la temporada de lluvias, el retraso en la siembra y las temperaturas por encima del promedio durante la temporada de Primera, la mejora de las lluvias en julio tras la canícula repuso la humedad del suelo y favoreció un desarrollo normal de los cultivos. Las condiciones de la vegetación han mejorado desde el mes pasado, con las necesidades hídricas de los cultivos en gran medida cubiertas, lo que produjo rendimientos promedio de maíz de Primera ligeramente superiores al promedio de producción de cinco años, permitiendo reponer las reservas alimentarias de los hogares. Además, los productores nacionales anticipan una cosecha de maíz por encima del promedio en el ciclo 2025/26, respaldada por condiciones climáticas favorables y por intervenciones gubernamentales, como el programa de producción del Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería, que proporciona semillas, fertilizantes y fungicidas. No obstante, la cosecha de frijol de Postrera fue de promedio a inferior al promedio, limitada por lluvias erráticas, períodos secos y estrés térmico asociado a temperaturas superiores al promedio, particularmente en el Corredor Seco.
  • Los precios del maíz bajaron de forma pronunciada en noviembre de 2025 tras la cosecha retrasada de Primera, pero se mantienen 20 por ciento por encima del año pasado y del promedio de cinco años. Los precios mayoristas del frijol aumentaron de manera estacional y se mantienen 30 por ciento por encima del promedio de cinco años. Se espera un alivio de precios una vez que la cosecha de Postrera llegue a los mercados; sin embargo, hasta entonces, los altos precios del frijol seguirán limitando el acceso y el consumo de alimentos de los hogares. Los precios del combustible se mantuvieron estables en diciembre, con variaciones mensuales mínimas, lo que limitó el aumento de los costos de transporte y favoreció una relativa estabilidad en los mercados de alimentos. A pesar de estos factores, los precios de los granos básicos siguen siendo elevados en comparación con los promedios históricos, lo que continúa restringiendo el poder adquisitivo de los hogares pobres.
  • Las temperaturas se mantendrán por encima del promedio hasta marzo de 2026, tras lo cual se prevé un retorno a valores promedio. Se espera que las lluvias continúen siendo erráticas hasta abril; sin embargo, los acumulados de precipitación en general promedio y las temperaturas promedio favorecerán un inicio promedio de la siembra de Primera en 2026. El empleo disminuirá tras el fin de la cosecha de café en marzo, reduciendo los ingresos rurales. A partir de abril, se espera un deterioro de las condiciones de seguridad alimentaria a medida que se agoten las reservas de alimentos de los hogares y disminuya la demanda de mano de obra rural. La mayoría de los hogares pobres cubrirá sus necesidades alimentarias mínimas, pero dependerá cada vez más de estrategias de afrontamiento negativas, como consumir alimentos menos preferidos, reducir el tamaño y la frecuencia de las comidas y disminuir la diversidad de la dieta. En particular, los agricultores de subsistencia del Corredor Seco probablemente enfrentarán brechas en el consumo de alimentos y un deterioro de las condiciones entre abril y agosto de 2026, durante la temporada de escasez en El Salvador. 
 Read the full analysis
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Agroclimatology
Global Weather Hazards Global January 15, 2026 - January 21, 2026
Global Weather Hazards Global January 8, 2026 - January 14, 2026
Global Weather Hazards Global January 1, 2026 - January 7, 2026
Markets & trade
Price Watch Global December 30, 2025
Price Watch Global November 30, 2025
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Alerts / Special Reports
Special Report Global May 1, 2025
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Food Security Classification data View all El Salvador Food Security Classification data
El Salvador Acute Food Insecurity Classification

Forward-looking analysis representing the most likely food security outcomes for the near term (October 2024 - January 2025) and medium term (February 2025 - May 2025) periods.

 El Salvador Acute Food Insecurity Classification Shapefile October 2024 (.zip) El Salvador Acute Food Insecurity Classification October 2024 (.geojson) Near Term Projection: October 2024 - January 2025 (.png) Medium Term Projection: February 2025 - May 2025 (.png) Near Term Projection: October 2024 - January 2025 (.kml) Medium Term Projection: February 2025 - May 2025 (.kml) El Salvador Acute Food Insecurity Classification

Forward-looking analysis representing the most likely food security outcomes for the near term (September 2024) and medium term (October 2024 - January 2025) periods.

 El Salvador Acute Food Insecurity Classification Shapefile September 2024 (.zip) El Salvador Acute Food Insecurity Classification September 2024 (.geojson) Near Term Projection: September 2024 (.png) Medium Term Projection: October 2024 - January 2025 (.png) Near Term Projection: September 2024 (.kml) Medium Term Projection: October 2024 - January 2025 (.kml) El Salvador Acute Food Insecurity Classification

Forward-looking analysis representing the most likely food security outcomes for the near term (August 2024 - September 2024) and medium term (October 2024 - January 2025) periods.

 El Salvador Acute Food Insecurity Classification Shapefile August 2024 (.zip) El Salvador Acute Food Insecurity Classification August 2024 (.geojson) Near Term Projection: August 2024 - September 2024 (.png) Medium Term Projection: October 2024 - January 2025 (.png) Near Term Projection: August 2024 - September 2024 (.kml) Medium Term Projection: October 2024 - January 2025 (.kml)
Seasonal Calendar

The Seasonal Calendar shows the annual and cyclical patterns of key food and income sources in a country throughout the typical year.
Seasonal Calendar image showing harvest and rainy periods for El Salvador
Production & Trade Flow Maps
FEWS NET captures the market networks for a product in a given country or region, including their catchments and trade flow patterns.
Beans, Season 1 Beans, Season 2 Maize, Normal Year
Satellite-derived products map

USGS-provided data and imagery supports FEWS NET's monitoring efforts of weather and climate throughout the world.

View all satellite-derived products
Livelihood Zone resources El Salvador Livelihoods Profiles, August 2010 El Salvador Livelihoods Descriptions, June 2010 El Salvador Livelihood Zone Map, January 2018
El Salvador 2018 Livelihood Zones Map (.PNG)
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