The low temperatures recorded these days in the department of Tarija caused heavy snow and frost in several municipalities, which wiped out the little agricultural production left in the rural communities of the central valley and the highland area of the region.
According to a report by the leaders of the provincial centrals, the strong cold affected up to one hundred percent of the production of vegetables, potatoes, onions, large peppers, pepper, and other crops in the communities of Yunchara, El Puente , Cercado, San Lorenzo, Uriondo, and Padcaya.
The leader of the upper area, Isaiah Condori, said the low temperatures recorded in Yunchara and El Puente, were temperatures were as low as six degrees below zero, affected at least 90 percent of several vegetable, chamomile, alpha, barley, potato, and other crops.
Meanwhile, the leader of the central valley of Tarija, Osvaldo Yucra, said the frost had been more critical in the municipalities of Uriondo, Padcaya, and part of Cercado, where the frost burned all of the agricultural products.
"Thousands of families are in dire straits because of this situation as they lost their entire crops of tomatoes, large peppers, vegetables, lettuce, radish, potato, and corn, among other products," said the leader of Cercado.
The leadership of the agricultural sector asked the departmental and municipal authorities to expedite the aid against natural disasters that they have been waiting for since the last management.
Authorities are concerned about the natural phenomena in the department of Tarija, however, they have been unable to issue a declaration of emergency to date because of some technical adjustments made to the reports submitted by the municipalities.
Source: elpaisonline.com