The true intensity of El Niño weather event will be known by the end of August when the Peruvian institution researching El Nino (Enfen) releases its reports on the way it will affect several areas, Peru’s Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Juan Manuel Benites affirmed.
The government is taking the appropriate precautions –such as the supreme emergency decree– to protect basins, cities and crops and, therefore, avoid losses.
“The magnitude of El Niño is expected to be significant; some people compare it with that of 1997. I’m a little cautious despite I’ve got information that resembles such projections, but nothing will be confirmed until late August, when Enfen has a clearer picture of how it will be,” he was quoted as saying by Andina news agency.
The Minister believes agriculture will be affected if a strong El Niño takes place, which is why crops are being moved to the jungle, as is the case of rice, which will be cultivated in areas where intense rains are less likely to occur.
According to Benites, this weather event yields a positive impact, considering that reservoirs will be "filled with water," which will be available for the next season.
“There will be an appropriate supply of resources to recover rapidly and, on the other hand, aquifers and subsoil reservoirs will be recovered, too,” he added.
The country’s northern area has suffered almost three years of drought, so having the reservoirs full of water is great news.
(END) JCC/JCC/RMB/MVB
Published: 7/31/2015