Drought And Malnutrition Killing Cattle in Los Santos and Guararé
The majority of the cattle farms located in the coastal districts of Los Santos and Guararé have no water or forage, where since November they have been hit with a drought that has begun to register the first carcasses. The most critical situation is displayed in the districts of Santa Ana and El Espinal, where this year there has been just one heavy rainfall in early April, but since then the outlook has worsened. Joaquin Bernal, a cattleman of the region, said the situation is very hard, because they ran out of grass and water, while the forage reserves they had are already being depleted.
Six Months Without Rain - Edilberto Peralta, representing the village of Santa Ana, said they have gone for more than six months in this region without a drop of water, and the shortages of pasture has forced producers to go out and buy elsewhere in the province, which is increasing costs. According to Peralta, the livestock that weigh more than a thousand pounds during the winter now weights less than 500 pounds, while those cattle that fall cannot rise again due to their advanced state of malnutrition.
Meanwhile, the governor of the province, Armando Batista asked the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA) for the implementation of a contingency program. MIDA director, Alexis Bravo, said they would be forming a working committee. (Mi Diario)
