Fuel Lines Stall Agriculture, Complicate Travel, and Raise Transport Costs

Long queues at gas stations have become a common sight across Bolivia, signaling a deepening fuel crisis that is now significantly impacting the nation's economy. The intermittent scarcity of diesel and gasoline is creating a cascade of problems, from delaying crucial agricultural harvests to hindering the transportation of goods and reducing the availability of public transport services.

The agricultural heartland of Santa Cruz is particularly hard-hit. Producers are reporting significant delays in harvesting winter crops like wheat, sorghum, and sunflowers. This is compounded by recent strong winds that have flattened crops, increasing the risk of substantial losses if the harvest cannot be completed promptly. The president of the National Confederation of Sugarcane Growers of Bolivia (Concabol) noted that the harvest is only 25% complete, far behind the expected pace, and warned of potential reduced planting in the next season due to these difficulties.

“

If this continues, the harvest will end at the end of the year or early 2027, something never seen before. And it is possible that for the next season, producers will opt for less planting, given that if the rain catches us, a large amount of cane will remain in the field, which means great losses for us.

The Bolivian Association of Oilseed and Wheat Producers (Anapo) estimates that approximately 950,000 hectares of crops are ready for harvest. However, difficulties in accessing fuel have already caused an estimated 10% lag in harvesting operations. The sector requires around 70 million liters of diesel for its needs, with the current harvest potentially yielding 2.5 million tons of grains valued at over $1 billion. The delay in harvesting inevitably slows down the subsequent stages of transportation, storage, commercialization, and delivery to markets and industries.

Beyond agriculture, the fuel shortage is also affecting passenger transport. Buses operating national and international routes are experiencing significant delays, with queues often spilling into traffic lanes near bus terminals. This disruption impacts mobility for citizens and increases operational costs across various sectors, highlighting the widespread economic consequences of the ongoing fuel crisis.

“

The difficulties in accessing fuel have already caused an approximate 10% lag in harvesting operations.