Honduras: Producers block the CA-4 highway and demand a halt to imported potatoes

The most severe blockade is on the CA-4 international highway, near El Portillo, in Sinuapa, Ocotepeque, completely paralyzing traffic between Copán, the border with El Salvador and the departmental capital of Ocotepeque.

"We are losing everything"

Holding banners and sacks of unsold potatoes, producers denounced that the invasion of Mexican and Guatemalan potatoes has caused the price to plummet in local markets, leaving them in a disadvantaged and economically vulnerable situation.

“We are being flooded with Mexican and Guatemalan potatoes, both legal and illegal. Only a few are profiting while we are left without funds to continue planting,” denounced Adelmo Ramos, a producer from the highlands of Ocotepeque.

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The protesters explained that between September and March, Ocotepeque is the country’s main potato-producing region, while from March to September it is Intibucá. However, they assert that this harvest is at risk of being lost if the massive influx of foreign potatoes is not stopped.

Government without response, producers without alternatives

So far, the farmers say they have not received any response from government authorities nor have they had any meetings with representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (SAG).

In a statement addressed to Minister Laura Suazo, the producers directly requested a ban on imported potatoes during the national harvest season. The letter explains that over 2,000 manzanas (approximately 1,000 acres) are cultivated in the area, and that the influx of foreign produce has caused a dramatic drop in prices.

“We ask the president to protect the national market. We have enough production to supply the country. If they don’t listen to us, the economy of the entire highlands of Ocotepeque will collapse,” they stated.

Protests are also taking place in La Paz and Intibucá.

Simultaneously, another group of producers blocked access to Marcala, La Paz, from the La Esperanza sector, Intibucá, protesting government neglect and the exclusion of the potato sector from agricultural bonds and support, which, according to them, are only distributed among certain sectors.

The protesters warned that they will continue their pressure tactics until they are heard and that they will not lift the blockades until they receive a concrete response from the SAG and the Presidency.

They demand import controls and fair treatment

Producers are demanding effective import controls and equitable treatment for the sector from the government. They are calling for a halt to the entry of foreign potatoes during the national harvest season, guaranteed equality in agricultural support programs, and assurances that bonuses and subsidies will also reach local farmers.

Furthermore, they request the creation of mechanisms to protect local production, including the control of smuggling and irregular imports that cause prices to fall and jeopardize the economic sustainability of thousands of producer families.

The blockade of highways in a strategic area like the CA-4—key to trade between Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala—increases the pressure on the government, which has so far remained silent on the situation. The producers, for their part, warn: “We are ready to stay here as long as necessary.”