Nearly 1,100 hectares of pumpkin could be lost to the drought, said Manrique Rodriguez Ventura, leader of the National Peasant Confederation (CNC) of Bacalar. He also said that if the drought continued they could lose all their crops.
There have been some rains which could have an impact on crops, he said, but they haven't been enough and they haven't been everywhere. Producers cultivate a pumpkin known as chihua because it does not require much water.
According to official data, there are 1,100 hectares devoted to pumpkin crops, but producers say there's a higher number because they generally grow more, to try to make more profits.
Last season, the conditions of the pumpkin crops were very similar to this year but producers were able to rescue some of their production. This season, producers hope they can save some of their production again.
Source: laverdadnoticias.com