Drought and fertilizer costs affect agricultural production in Ambato

Ambato

In some farms with crops it is evident that erosion begins to affect production due to the cracks that are observed in the soil.

According to the farmers, this is a consequence of the drought and the high temperatures, especially since a month ago, which has the farmers worried, because it causes a drop in production or the loss of the crops.

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“Right now we are going through a barbaric drought, something that we had not seen in a long time, that is why the products have been scarce in the markets and that has caused prices to rise considerably in relation to what they had for a long time. a month and a half,” said Ramiro Telenchana, a farmer from the Izamba parish, in the north of Ambato.

He, with the help of other peasants, carry water with pumps to irrigate the vegetable plantations. He said that with this work he hopes that the crops will not be lost, although he maintained that due to the high temperatures they have not developed enough and that in any case this represents losses.

Telenchana commented that every eight days there is a turn for irrigation water, which makes the most of it for the plantations, but pointed out that this is not enough since the water does not last due to the drought of the soil.

However, he estimated that he will be able to recover somewhat what he invested in planting.

Julio Achachi said that due to the high temperatures and the lack of liquid, he saw the need to buy a tanker of water for between $20 and $30 every week, in order to prevent everything from being lost in the greenhouses.

He mentioned that what he has planted in the open field will represent a loss because the plague settles or does not develop well.

Tobías Manobanda, another producer, said that the high temperatures during the day and the frost at night and early in the morning produce a contrast that affects the crops.

He hopes that the prices of the products will allow him to recover something of the investment.

Farmers stated that due to the scarcity of products in the market, prices rise. A little over a month ago, a carton with 12 lettuces sold for $1.50 and now it is $4.

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The chard bag rose from $2.50 to $7, the sack of white cabbage from $1.50 to $8, the kidney tomato crate from $4 to $10 and the pickle from $3 to $12.

The producers indicated that the costs of the fertilizers they use have also increased, that the fertilizers went from between $18 and $22 to $45 in a matter of two months, which means more expense for them. (I)