The supply of Guatemalan agricultural products to El Salvador is starting to cause price increases, some salvadoran markets are reporting low stocks and that there will be shortages.

Traders at Mercado La Tiendona say that no trucks have entered with products, so far they have already observed increases in the potato, which has gone from costing US$36.00 per quintal to be worth between US$75.00 and US$80.00 per quintal.

In Guatemala, some are even selling a quintal of potatoes at US$140, which could cost US$1.50 or more per pound, compared to US$0.50 per pound in the past.

Carrot is another product that has doubled in price: it was costing between US$9.00 and US$10.00 and now it is worth between US$18.00 and US$25.00. Tomatoes, according to traders, are costing between US$40.00 and US$50.00 per box.

COEXPORT indicates that there are more than US$3 million daily losses due to the blockades on the border between El Salvador and Guatemala.

Some transporters have had losses of more than 40% of the products due to the circumstances in the blockades, many of them have had to throw away vegetables and fruit.

Danilo Perez, executive Ddrector of the Centro para la Defensa del Consumidor (CDC), explains that prices were already high and the political crisis in Guatemala is generating shortages in the basic food basket and the problem is the food dependence of El Salvador.

The business and union sectors are the most affected by the closures of more than 100 points on Guatemalan highways, so they ask the relevant authorities to release the passage so that carriers of goods can reach their destination and avoid shortages of products.

Translated by: A.M