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Drought in El Oro affects farmers
Posted On 21 Apr 2014
Several areas of Manabi experience a season of drought since the beginning of February, mainly affecting crops, what worries farmers in the area.The alert was given last week. The notice spread regarding the fact that the authorities would send only 2 cubic metres per second through the canals of the Tahuin irrigation system, half of which is given in a normal time ran.
The norm was to give preference to perennial crops and paddy fields that were planted.
On Thursday, farmers convened a session extended in the Fire Department´s building of the canton. Farmers from other parts of the province of El Oro, however, came to communicate that the drought is general in the provincel.
The representative of the General Secretariat of Water (Senagua) announced that 4.1 cubic meters would be sent.
`We hope to call an expanded Provincial Council of the water,´ said Jorge Toapanta, who arrived with Maria Gonzaga from the Citizen Council in the Ministry of agriculture. And he said that the province has 607 thousand hectares of arable, from this 105 thousand are irrigated and there is now water only for half.
Mario Moncada, President of the Tahuín Council, said that the water is not sufficient, and that with the supplies offered by Senagua, only 4,000 of the 6,000 acres of the irrigation system will be saved.
