SMEs Dominate the Regional Agrifood Sector
66% of surveyed agrifood companies in Latin America and the Caribbean identify themselves as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
(BID, 2026)
Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID)
292 results
66% of surveyed agrifood companies in Latin America and the Caribbean identify themselves as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
(BID, 2026)
Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID)
76% of surveyed agrifood companies in Latin America and the Caribbean consider access to financing to be the main public policy priority for the sector.
(BID, 2026)
Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID)
83% of agrifood companies in Latin America and the Caribbean finance their investments primarily with their own resources due to limited access to credit.
(BID, 2026)
Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID)
The World Bank Group’s fertilizer index is projected to increase by 31% (y/y) in 2026. (Banco Mundial, 2026).
World Bank Group. (2026). April 2026 - Commodity Markets Outlook,
Banco Mundial
Natural gas prices, the main input for fertilizers, increased by up to 50%, driving up the cost of the sector (Agrolatam, 2026).
Agrolatam. (2026). Fertilizer prices surge in U.S. as urea jumps 34% ahead of planting.
Agrolatam
Prices for nitrogen fertilizers in the US market have risen by more than 30% in recent weeks (Agrolatam, 2026).
Agrolatam. (2026). Fertilizer prices surge in U.S. as urea jumps 34% ahead of planting.
Agrolatam
The price of urea in the United States increased by 34% before the planting season (Agrolatam, 2026).
Agrolatam. (2026). Fertilizer prices surge in U.S. as urea jumps 34% ahead of planting.
Agrolatam
More than 80% of the fertilizers used in Latin America are imported, which increases regional vulnerability to external shocks (Mundoagro, 2026).
Mundoagro. (2026). El impacto por región y los riesgos de la crisis global de fertilizantes para la fruticultura. https://mundoagro.io/cl/el-impacto-por-region-y-los-riesgos-de-la-crisis-global-de-fertilizantes-para-la-fruticultura/
Mundoagro. (2026)
24 vessels per day transited the Panama Canal during the 2023–24 El Niño drought, down from the usual 36, with draft restrictions set at 44 feet (Noll, 2026).
(Noll,2026)
Noll, B. (2026, abril 6). Super El Niño chances increasing risks. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2026/04/06/super-el-nino-chances-increasing-risks/
25% of Brazil's corn exports are destined for the Middle East, increasing sectoral vulnerability (Canuto, 2026).
Canuto, O. (2026). Transmission channels of the war on Iran to the Brazilian economy. Policy Center for the New South. https://www.policycenter.ma/publications/transmission-channels-war-iran-brazilian-economy
Policy Center for the New South