The Chamber of Small and Medium Agricultural Producers of El Salvador (Campo) ruled out a price increase in the basic food basket following the recently announced 12% rise in the minimum wage set for 2025.
Luis Treminio, president of Campo, explained that the basic grains the population will consume this year were already produced during the 2024–2025 agricultural cycle. “I don’t believe there will be a price increase, because the production is already in place — it’s last year’s harvest. The projected deficit will be covered through imports, and imports will not see a price hike,” he said.
The wage increase was officially announced on May 27 by Labor Minister Rolando Castro, who confirmed that the National Minimum Wage Council (CNSM) unanimously approved the government’s proposal to boost the minimum salary by 12%.
The Consumer Protection Authority previously stated that the announcement of a wage increase alone did not justify a rise in food prices. At the time, the institution also committed to increasing market inspections once the CNSM ratified the wage adjustment, aiming to prevent speculation.