Guatemala’s Dry Corridor Faces Prolonged Lean Season Amid Crop Losses and Rising Food Prices

In September, the Dry Corridor, Alta Verapaz, and the Western Highlands entered IPC Phase 3 (Crisis), with very poor subsistence farmers suffering severe staple‑grain losses. Harvest delays and damage, combined with lower agricultural wages, have cut household food stocks and income, forcing reduced meal sizes and negative coping strategies. While October’s cash‑crop harvests (coffee, sugarcane, cardamom) and the delayed staple‑grain harvests temporarily improve food availability, the gains are short‑lived for the poorest households. Heavy September rains caused soil saturation, flooding, and landslides, further damaging crops. Food and transportation costs have spiked—diesel prices up 61 % and white maize wholesale prices rose 30 %—eroding purchasing power and sustaining crisis conditions through January.