Dear Friends and Supporters,
For almost 40 years, Proyecto Aldea Global (PAG) continues to work with farm families in western Honduras in developing agricultural projects to achieve more food security, reduce poverty, and improve their overall quality of life. But factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the two major hurricanes of 2020 have affected the national economy, and the most vulnerable population struggles to recover from these unfortunate events.
According to the Honduran National Institute of Statistics, 76.6% of the total population of Honduras is poor, that is, over 6.9 million persons and 54.7% (4.9 million) live in extreme poverty. Additionally, Honduras remains the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, after Haiti (World Bank, 2022).
Currently, our farm families in western Honduras are facing serious food production problems due to the rising costs in agricultural inputs, for instance, fertilizer has gone from $16 USD a bag to $54 USD a bag, an effect of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine (USDA, 2022). Both these countries provide much of the chemical fertilizer that goes around the world.
With the serious lack of food supply, farmers have eaten their stored corn and bean seeds and as a result, thousands of poor Indian communities will not produce a basic corn and bean crop at the end of this year.
Meeting with farmers in western Honduras.
Farmers receiving seeds to plant, as well as fertilizer, insecticides, and other agricultural inputs.
PAG is now beginning to provide corn and bean seeds, fertilizers, and other basic agricultural inputs to about 150 farm families in western Honduras so they get a crop into the ground and secure food supply at the end of this year.
With these agricultural inputs, 150 farmers will be able to plant 1.7 acres of corn or 0.8 acres of beans which in 4 to 6 months will yield a harvest between 6,000 to 7,000 pounds of corn and 2,000 to 2,500 pounds of beans.
However, we are estimating that over 1,000 farmers in western Honduras do not have food production secured for the remainder of this year. One agricultural kit which includes chemicals (insecticides, fungicides, etc.), seeds, and fertilizer is costing about $280 USD per farmer. Would you prayerfully consider supporting one of these farm families with an agricultural kit?
My sincere gratitude for supporting our work in Honduras!
Blessings,
Chester Thomas
PAG - Executive Director
