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Diesel scarcity: 'There is a state of emergency' and fuel shortage drives up chicken and pork prices
🇧🇴 Bolivia /Disasters & Emergencies

Diesel scarcity: 'There is a state of emergency' and fuel shortage drives up chicken and pork prices

From El Deber · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Bolivia's agricultural sector is in a "total state of emergency" due to persistent diesel shortages, exacerbated by recent blockades.
  • The scarcity of fuel is driving up the costs of essential food items like chicken and pork, threatening the country's food security.
  • Producers warn that without a stable diesel supply, agricultural planning is impossible, potentially leading to future food shortages for the Bolivian population.

Bolivia's agricultural sector is facing a "total state of emergency" as a persistent diesel shortage, a lingering consequence of 53-day blockades, threatens the nation's food security. The scarcity of this crucial fuel is directly contributing to a significant rise in the prices of basic food staples, including chicken and pork, creating a "perfect storm" in the country's economy.

The productive sector is going through a 'total state of emergency' due to the insufficient provision of the fuel.

— Klaus FrerkingKlaus Frerking, president of the Chamber of Agriculture of the East (CAO), describes the severity of the diesel shortage.

Omar Castro, president of the National Poultry Association (ANA), explained that the current high price of chicken is a result of reduced farm restocking during the critical blockade period. Disruptions in the supply of chicks and essential inputs led to lower production, which is now reflected in soaring prices, with chicken reaching between Bs 25 and Bs 29 per kilogram. This situation is compounded by the ongoing lack of diesel, which continues to inflate production and transportation costs for all food items.

We cannot put the country's food security at risk.

— Klaus FrerkingKlaus Frerking emphasizes the critical threat to Bolivia's food supply.

Klaus Frerking, president of the Chamber of Agriculture of the East (CAO), stated after a meeting with the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and YPFB that the insufficient fuel provision is severely impacting agricultural planning, particularly for small producers who constitute about 70% of the sector and rely heavily on fuel stations. "We cannot put the country's food security at risk," Frerking warned, recalling that the sector had predicted logistical chain disruptions would affect food supply during the blockades.

We said there would be a shortage of chicken. Why does chicken have a higher price now? Because there is a shortage of chicken.

— Klaus FrerkingKlaus Frerking explains the direct link between fuel shortage, reduced supply, and increased prices.

Frerking further elaborated that the diesel shortage is increasing production costs across various agricultural activities. The sugarcane harvest is reportedly delayed by 20%, and the difficulty in transporting grains to farms is negatively affecting not only poultry and pork production but the entire food supply chain. The uncertainty created by the fuel crisis paralyzes producers' ability to plan future agricultural campaigns, which is the foundation for sustained agricultural output, milk production, soybean cultivation, and livestock farming.

If we do not solve the fuel problem, there will be a shortage of food for Bolivians in the medium term.

— Klaus FrerkingKlaus Frerking warns of future food scarcity if the diesel crisis is not resolved.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Deber in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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