Conveagro: lemon, rice and vegetable crops have been affected by the rains in the north of the country

In the last few hours, heavy rains have been reported in various regions of the country as a result of Cyclone Yaku. Tumbes, Piura, Lambayeque and La Libertad are the cities most affected by this climatic event that has been damaging homes and hectares of crops.

“It has wreaked havoc on agriculture. Floods have been seen in rice fields, which come from the northern part and from the jungle, in those of lemon and agro-export products such as bananas, as well as some vegetable products,” said Anaximander Rojas, president of the National Convention of Peruvian Agriculture (Conveagro) to the Republic.

In this sense, he mentions that there are losses of thousands of hectares of rice as a result of overflows. “Rice plantations have been buried by the sediments and the water that has overflowed the rivers,” he said. Likewise, lemon plots have been completely flooded.

Impact on markets

Currently, according to the Supply and Price System (Sisap), of the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation of Peru, the average and maximum price of lemons in the stock market amounts to S/2.44, while the minimum cost is S/2.22. However, it has been reported that has presented a rise of 19% so far this month, according to the BCRP Monetary Policy manager, Carlos Montoro.

If the rains continue, there is a possibility that the prices of the affected foods will rise and there is fear of a possible shortage in the markets. “By not being able to harvest or remove the products from the places, there is an impact on the rise in prices. They will not be able to enter as much from the northern zone, from the capital, or from the jungle. There are products such as greens, vegetables and beans that come from the highlands of Piura, which also supply the markets and could be harmed,” added Rojas.

For his part, Clímaco Cárdenas, a specialist in agricultural issues, stated that an eventual rise in prices will depend on the evolution of the rains in the coming days. “If we spend 15 days with these climatic problems, there will be a much greater amount of losses. There will still be no shortage, but you have to wait a week, there are some crops that can be kept underground, ”he specified.