Guatemala City, Dec 23 (IANS/EFE) White corn production in Guatemala fell 10.8 percent in 2009 due to the prolonged drought in the country, the agriculture ministry said Tuesday.
Corn production in 2009 totaled 26.5 million quintals.

Millions of families in the rural areas have been affected as a result of the low harvest, the ministry said in a report.

White corn is one of the staple diets of the Guatemalans.

In addition to the drought, diseases and heavy rains, among other factors, contributed to the low harvest in the eight corn-growing regions of the country’s 22 provinces.

The losses were valued at about 119 million quetzales ($14 million), and this forced the price of corn in the local market to rise by 25 percent between August and November.

The ministry, however, predicts a slight recovery in production in 2010, which could amount to 27 million quintals, given a normal rainy season.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to put forward a request for more than $100 million in aid from the international community to mitigate the food crisis in the country.

According to a study, about 45 percent children in the country suffer from chronic malnutrition and 52 percent of Guatemala’s 13.3 million people live below the poverty line.