2024-05-13 08:42:08
The rainy season is the entrance of the La Niña phenomenon in Colombia, bringing with it a mixed outlook for the country’s agricultural sector. Although this rainfall is expected to provide relief to drought-affected areas, significant challenges also loom for various crops.
According to the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (Ideam), there is still uncertainty about the duration and intensity of La Niña, although its maximum peak is expected to be reached between the months of October and November of this year.
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Although the first rains have already begun to favor regions previously hit by drought, the climate pattern is expected to remain in a neutral phase during the coming months. This situation raises questions about how La Niña will impact agricultural production, especially after experiences such as the prolonged rainy season between 2020 and 2022, which generated negative impacts on agro-export sectors.
Increased rainfall is considered positive for certain crops such as coffee, which will benefit from higher humidity for the 2024 harvest. However, other crops such as potatoes, sugar cane, bananas and, in some cases, Corn could face adversity due to excess water, which could reduce its productivity and quality.
Specialists warn about the risks associated with excess rain for all crops. For example, potatoes could be affected by diseases such as gout, a fungus that can decimate a crop in just one week. In the case of bananas, flooding and the proliferation of diseases such as moko and fusariosis could negatively impact the production and quality of the fruit.
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Regarding food prices, María Helena Latorre, executive director of the Procultivos de la Andi chamber, mentioned that these will depend on the intensity of La Niña and the ability of producers to adapt to the new climatic conditions. However, damage is already being recorded in some areas of the north of the country, such as the loss of hectares of rice and problems in crops such as potatoes, sugar cane and corn.