Central American countries declare agricultural emergencies

Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica have declared states of agricultural emergencies after a fungus called Coffee rust has caused trees to lose their leaves and produce fewer beans.

According to the BBC, coffee is Guatemala's main export meaning that hundreds of thousands of jobs are at stake. So far 70 per cent of the country’s crops have been infected.

Guatemala is releasing over 13-million dollars in emergency aid to help farmers fight the fungus.  A rise in temperature and more humidity is said to be the cause of the outbreak.

Flickr Photo by: aaronHwarren

STORY WRITTEN BY: NATASHA TAGGART