In late March 2020, the Government of El Salvador purchased around 50 000 tonnes of white maize, 7 000 tonnes of rice and 5 000 tonnes of beans to boost its national strategic reserves. The purchase, worth USD 30 million, aims to guarantee supplies of the country’s staple foods amid the COVID-19 pandemic and will be released only in case of need. As an additional effort to boost domestic supplies, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock announced a 30 percent increase in the number of beneficiaries of the agricultural input packages, which will be distributed for the soon-to-be planted 2020 first season crops. A temporary export ban on red beans was also put in place from 26 March to 31 December 2020. Similarly, with the aim to ensure adequate domestic supplies, the Government of Honduras announced, on 31 March 2020, the ban on exports of red beans.