What products can be affected by rain? This warns Conveagro

Northern regions are facing intense rainfall and river flooding, which could lead to the loss of various types of crops, Peru’s National Agricultural Convention (Conveagro) has warned.

Conveagro President Anaximander Rojas notes that some products that will be affected are rice, lemon, banana and corn.

“We have already seen the floods of some rivers, which cause problems in the agricultural part. We know that our northern zone is for manufacturing rice, corn, banana, lemon and menestra or carry-on bread like sweet potatoes and cassava. These are also products from the basic basket,” Rojas told Ojo newspaper.

Rojas indicated that if these rains continue, it could affect hectares of crops, which will cause losses at the producer level, as it will affect investments in the current agricultural campaign. With this effect, which also leads to a decrease in production, prices for consumers will also rise.

How much can these products rise in price? The representative of Conveagro indicates that the percentage increase in these products will depend on the overall losses.

Rojas recalled that during the 2017 El Niño event, hundreds of hectares were lost and, in addition, access roads were damaged, which also prevented the movement of products.

Faced with this problem, the representative Conveagrus He points out that the Government should allocate a budget for preventive measures, since this is not the first time climate change has affected agriculture.

Lemon rises in price

In Lima, the La Parada market is already reporting an increase in prices for lemons, which rose by up to 50% after rains in the north of the country.

One of the sellers interviewed by RPP indicated that Wholesale price in the Santa Anita market comes to

“I have S/2.50 and S/4 (per kilogram) because they raised it very expensive in Santa Anita. In Santa Anita, a bag costs S/200 and only weighs 38kg, so add that to how much they can sell. Here in La Para, a 48kg bag costs S/140,” he said.

Before the rains, the price of a 48-kilogram bag of lemons ranged from 50 to 70 Singapore dollars.

Other affected areas

In the Santa Eulalia Valley (Huarochiri, Lima), intense rainfall and landslides have also been reported, which have already affected 50% to 60% of agricultural production.

District Mayor Luis Sauis Candiotti notes that this situation has blocked four important irrigation canals.

“Four channels that irrigate about 193 hectares harvest They are blocked, clogged with mud and stone, so we don’t have water to irrigate. Consequently, 50% to 60% of agricultural production is affected,” he said.

This impact is already added to others reported a couple of months ago, indicating that this year will not be 100% harvest, “rather it is expected to be 60% harvested, mainly fruit trees such as avocados, which is currently in the fruiting stage.

In addition, it is wary that 7 thousand linear meters. irrigation canals they were covered with mud and stones and 180 m2 were destroyed.

For its part, the National Institute of Civil Defense (Indeci) notes that in the northern part of the Sierra, in cities such as La Encañada (Cajamarca) and Huamachuco (Libertad), the possible continuation of rains forecast for the next few days will affect the tuberization of the crop potatoes, and will also cause damage due to oversaturation of the soil in corn plantations.