LatinNews Regional Monitor: Caribbean & Central America - 23 March 2020

* Honduras’ President Juan Orlando Hernández has announced a second packet of economic measures to address the impact of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, aimed specifically at guaranteeing food security. Among other things, these measures guarantee the supply of basic goods to 800,000 impoverished families (3.2m people) for 30 days as of 25 March. As well as authorising the agricultural, agro-industrial, agro export and food distribution sectors to operate as normal despite a national lockdown, other measures include the assignation of L200m (US$8.1m) in technical assistance for producers located in the so-called ‘Dry Corridor’ (an area which covers parts of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala and is particularly vulnerable to climate change) to guarantee there is no reduction in productivity. The latest measures also assign a productive solidarity bond (the amount of which was unspecified) to 190,000 small producers to ensure the supply of agricultural products such as beans, corn, rice, and. The first economic rescue package announced on 17 March included a three-month freeze on loan repayments by the Honduran bank for production and housing (Banhprovi) and other initiatives to help small and medium-sized firms as well as the agro sector.

End of preview - This article contains approximately 195 words.

Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article

Not a Subscriber?

Choose from one of the following options

• Subscribe
• Sign up for a one-time, 14-day trial