San Salvador, 11 September 2026 (IICA) – Muhammad Ibrahim, Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), made a working visit to El Salvador, where he met with the government of this Central American country to discuss a comprehensive cooperation agenda to strengthen food security and the welfare of small farmers.
The topics addressed included programs to respond to El Niño’s impact on productivity and rural livelihoods; livestock sector problems triggered by shortages of water and fodder; the need to identify opportunities to purchase fertilizers at competitive prices, and actions to control the New World screwworm and other diseases affecting agricultural production.
IICA is firmly committed to rural development and agricultural resilience in El Salvador, which is one of the countries within the region designated as the Central American Dry Corridor. Limited water and other natural resources in that area complicate agricultural activity, particularly family farming.
The extreme climate in the Central American Dry Corridor is compelling countries to redouble seed production for staple grains, whereas occasional losses, due to drought, require that they adopt a strategy to increase availability of bean seeds, both in El Salvador and Honduras.
As such, the Salvadorian government will promote the production of bean seeds to guarantee farmers’ access to high-quality bean varieties.
During his mission to the Salvadorian capital, Ibrahim met with Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Oscar Domínguez, who highlighted the fact that IICA had been assisting the country to acquire inputs and equipment, while providing technical advice to mitigate the negative impact of the drought on family farmers, particularly staple grain producers and livestock farmers.
They also analyzed the rest of the hemispheric organization’s cooperation agenda in El Salvador, emphasizing measures to address the impact of El Niño.
The Director General, along with IICA Representative in El Salvador, Erick Quirós, was also received at the Office of the President of El Salvador, where he met with Miguel Kattan, Secretary of Trade and Investment. Kattan expressed support for the cooperation programs dealing with issues such as biotechnology and the modernization of agricultural health and food safety legislation.
The meeting addressed the strengthening of sanitary and phytosanitary measures, while also assessing the functioning of three initiatives that the IICA El Salvador office is currently implementing. The programs involve biosecurity controls at the international airport, including the confiscation and destruction of risky products; the operation of a laboratory for quality control and pesticide residue in food products; and the tackling of diseases affecting citrus products.
Projects that provide subsidies for animal feed and water pumps for irrigation and forage production were also discussed.
During the meeting, the participants also reviewed the implementation of other IICA cooperation projects related to low-emission, resilient livestock farming and the improvement of infrastructure and energy and drinking water systems at the National School of Agriculture (ENA).
These initiatives are currently being implemented with a growing number of partners and investments totaling more than 11 million dollars. The participants also discussed how to create opportunities for the agriculture sector by linking it to tourism, which is experiencing strong growth in El Salvador and is a source of investment.
Impact on the production of staple grains
IICA works together with several strategic partners to implement various initiatives aimed at strengthening food production and enhancing rural well-being, which were reviewed during Ibrahim’s visit to the country.
Together with Ambassador Lina Ajoy, Secretary General of the Central American Integration System (SICA), the meeting participants assessed the impact of El Niño on the production of staple grains and strategic crops—such as coffee and sugarcane—in Central American countries and the Dominican Republic.
Ibrahim and Ajoy discussed how to better coordinate the efforts of various sources that are providing funding to respond to the emergency. They also reviewed the status of projects aimed at improving water resource management in agriculture and livestock production.
Together with representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Director General furthered plans to control and eradicate the New World screwworm and address other health-related challenges. He also held a working meeting with the Executive Secretary of the Central American Agricultural Council (CAC), David Martínez. Together, they analyzed systems for monitoring the impact of El Niño and forecasts for corn, bean, and rice imports that will be necessary to address the repercussions on the local production sector.
Ibrahim also met with local officials of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Together with Jairo Acuña-Alfaro, UNDP Representative in El Salvador, they discussed opportunities for joint cooperation on rural development and capacity-building, with a view to integrating youth into agriculture and capitalizing on economic growth in rural areas.
Ibrahim’s visit also included meetings with partners such as World Vision and representatives from the banking sector, including the Development Bank of El Salvador (BANDESAL), the Agricultural Development Bank (BFA), and Banco LAFISE.
More information:
Institutional Communication Division.
comunicacion.institucional@iica.int
