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El Salvador is facing the global threat of El Niño with strategic planning, led by the Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería (MAG) through the implementation of the Production Increase Program. This national plan brought forward the 2026 agricultural calendar to take full advantage of initial soil moisture and optimize traditional planting methods, given the adverse climate projections for the season.
The Vice Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Óscar Domínguez, emphasized that the country will produce enough food for this year and next, thanks to the results of early planting. “In the Production Increase Program, we’re seeing over 12 million quintals of corn and over 1.2 million quintals of beans (…) these harvest projections are based on technical data, thanks to the collaborative work with producers, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the World Food Programme”, he explained.
The program’s success is based on the technical support provided to producers to cope with the prolonged drought. MAG extension agent Julio Urrutia explained that in the Santa Ana production zone, improved seeds with high anchorage and climate resistance were distributed, and farmers were trained in spacing techniques, timely fertilization, biological pest control, crop residue management, and comprehensive soil care.
Farmer Salvador Antonio Saldaña expressed his gratitude for the high-quality certified seed and foliar fertilizers. On his 100 blocks (approximately 100 acres) of diversified land, he projects a harvest of 8,000 quintals of corn and 6,000 hectares of beans, in addition to squash, pumpkin, eggplant, and cucumber.
The program also includes the planting of second-crop crops assisted by pressurized sprinkler and drip irrigation systems in 140 production zones nationwide. This infrastructure ensures a second harvest to meet the demand for staple grains throughout the country.
The Production Increase Program also includes the deployment of cutting-edge digital tools, support through the Intelligent Monitoring System of the Agricultural Network, the MERIAN digital technical assistance project, coordinated with the FAO and the Centro de Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria y Forestal among other initiatives.
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