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The tortilla, one of the essential ingredients of the diet of Salvadorians, has risen in recent days in the markets of El Salvador due to the impact of the. one of the most serious natural phenomena of recent years: the drought that strikes maize crops and threatens to hit livestock, coffee, sugar cane and the rest of the agricultural sector of the smallest country of Central America .
The price of corn quintal has risen from $ 15 to $ 30 in recent days, according to market reports. As a result, the tortilla, which cost about 25 cents for four units, was sold at three to one dollar in different stores or reduced in size.
With more than a month without rain in several The crisis has forced the General Directorate of Civil Protection of El Salvador to declare this week an orange alert in 12 of the 14 departments (states), with high temperatures and one of the most serious conflicts due to the climate situation of the 21st century. ) and red in 143 of the 262 municipalities of this nation of 21 thousand square kilometers. The Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources of El Salvador (MARN) recorded this month a record 41.1 degrees Celsius in the east, which concentrates the largest production of basic grains.
Data exceed the July average of 40.9 degrees in previous years, with droughts in 2012, 2013, 2014 and, most seriously, in 2015, as it affected El Salvador's water resources, according to the MARN, who predicted that "the rains will remain erratic" in the coming days, with strong and intense storms in the center and west, but without reaching the east. The departments are Ahuachapán, Sonsonate and Santa Ana (west), Chalatenango (north), La Libertad (south), Cabañas, La Paz and San Vicente (center), Usulután, San Miguel, Morazán and La Unión (east), while 87 of the affected municipalities are from the east, according to the Directorate.
The account indicated that 77 000 322 maize producers are affected by "extreme meteorological drought", which has already left total losses in 28 thousand 799 manzanas and partial in 33 thousand 290, for a total of 62 thousand 89. "The total production of quintals of corn lost is 2 million 138 thousand 14, whose areas of total loss add 1 million 363 thousand 989 and the amount of quintals in," he said, noting that "the assessment of possible effects on livestock, coffee and other staple cereals is still insufficient."
The Salvadoran home of and average producers Agropecuari os (Campo) informed El Diario de Hoy, one of the major newspapers in El Salvador, that losses already rise to 4 million 135 thousand quintals of corn
Campo revealed that the average investment per manzana is 300 dollars, the losses therefore exceed $ 27.4 million without adding There are 32 thousand 872 corn apples at risk and whose harvest would exceed 1 million 643 thousand 594 quintals, he anticipated.
Backup. With the red alert statement, the Directorate clarified that state resources could be used to provide humanitarian and food assistance in the most affected areas and face problems of health and nutrition, in addition to supporting producers. the (State) Defensoría del Consumir "guarantees" that the weight, the price control and the quality of the basic grains are respected to avoid speculation and hoarding.
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