Casual labor season begins, improving food access

Due to the losses of Primera harvests, the depletion of stocks and the high cost of basic grains, the poorest households are facing Stressed (IPC Phase 2) acute food insecurity. However, some households among the poorest in underdeveloped communities are in Crisis (IPC Phase 3), and need food assistance.

The rain pattern of the last quarter of 2019 has allowed the good phenological development of Postrera basic grain crops (maize and beans) throughout the region, even in areas affected by low rainfall during the Primera; the bean is the crop with greater geographical coverage, with harvests beginning at the end of November.

The main income opportunities in the region for temporary employment at this time of year come from coffee and cane harvest, as well as local employment in the production of tropical fruit crops (watermelon, melon, rambutan) and tropical vegetables (tomato, chili pepper, onion and eggplant), as well as the production of tilapia and shrimp on the coast.

From a meteorological point of view, the transition to the dry season and cold fronts has already begun, which leads to an increase in respiratory diseases of the population, mainly affecting infants in the most vulnerable areas, as well as damage to crops in the highlands.