The impact of Hurricane Katia affected more than 200,000 hectares of corn, pineapple, papaya, banana and pod crops in Veracruz, according to Luis Gómez Garay, the national leader of the General Workers' Union, Peasants and People's Union (UGOCP).
In an interview, he said that this quantification is an initial balance of the inspection work carried out in the areas affected by the meteorological phenomenon, which last Friday touched down northwest of Tecolutla, Veracruz, as a category 1.
He commented that plantain crops were the most affected because, according to estimates, at least 1,500 hectares of the northern area of this entity, or 10 percent of the total area, were severely damaged during Katia's intense winds.
He added that these wind gusts significantly affected the banana areas of some municipalities that were "very specialized in this crop," including San Rafael and Atzalan, where up to 60 percent of affected areas were registered.
The floods and fallen plants problem affected some 1,200 producers, commented Gómez Garay, arguing that just one hectare of plantain is worth 30,000 pesos.
Regarding the 8.2-magnitude quake on the Richter scale last Thursday, considered the strongest that the country has endured in the last century, he said that several agricultural areas showed significant cracks, and it is expected that in the coming days a more complete report will be offered.
According to a preliminary report, the Ministry of Agriculture reported that the states of Colima, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Puebla, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, Veracruz and Yucatan have filed notice of loss for just over 138,000 hectares of maize, beans, barley, chile, beans, chayote, banana, cotton, apple, walnut and coffee.
In response to this, and as far as conditions permit, the federal agency indicated that field inspections have been carried out on 53,718 hectares and total losses have been identified in 42,221 hectares.
Due to this, he pointed out that the insurance companies will proceed to pay out compensations for 50.5 million pesos.
Source: Notimex