Most of these imports will be maize, the main food staple. Less than half the necessary food aid is pledged so far However, the loss of nearly half a billion dollars in export earnings means that the country's ability to import commercially is seriously reduced. According to the report, less than half the necessary food aid has arrived or is pledged so far. A majority of 78 percent of Honduras' poorest families are rural. Typically, they lease less than 4 ha of land, paying high costs in cash or produce, and have few opportunities to earn money off the farm.
Rural households headed by women are common among the poorest.
The assessment mission found that even markets in remote areas were well supplied with basic grains. Prices of some fruits and vegetables that are not covered by the government price controls have risen as much as 20 percent. Olancho, a major maize-growing area in the northeast that has been virtually cut off from the rest of the country, is cited as an example of this. The mission looked at measures to help farmers resume normal production as soon as possible. Reconstruction will, however, require major and continuous investment in the coming years.