Mexico: Damage by Hurricane Patricia in Colima now at 16,259 hectares

Carlos Salazar, a delegate of the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA) in Colima, said the brigades that were visiting the municipalities of the state to monitor the damage caused by Hurricane Patricia had reported 16,259 hectares of various crops had been severely damaged.

In this regard, Salazar Preciado said that the State Government, in coordination with producers and other government agencies, had monitored a total of 56,656 hectares so far.

The most affected crops were corn, with 4,239 hectares; bananas, with 3,573 hectares; lime, with 2,989 hectares; and papaya, with 1,621 hectares. The municipalities with the highest number of damaged hectares are: Armeria, Tecomán, Manzanillo, Comala, and Minatitlan.

The federal official stressed that the insurance company would be the one to determine the extent of the damage to later proceed to compensate producers.

He also said that they continued to look for resources at the federal level to support those affected, and that they reported on a daily basis to headquarters about the inspection carried out by the brigades of the entity and about the actions that have been undertaken by all federal, state and municipal agencies to support the various sectors of the population affected by Patricia.

"The Secretary of Agriculture, Jose Calzada Rovirosa, is in charge of ensuring that the people affected by Patricia in Colima, Michoacan, Nayarit, and Jalisco can recover. That’s why he is permanently working with other federal departments, looking for ways to support the agricultural sector and the general population of these states," Salazar stated.

Finally, the delegate of Sagarpa said that the resources of the Insurance against Catastrophes was being sent to all municipalities, so he asked producers to be a little patience.

Source: angelguardian.mx