Rains were insufficient to reverse drought in Uruguay

The rains recorded over the weekend in Uruguay were insufficient to reverse the drought affecting the country, the National Emergency System (Sinae) reported Monday.

“The last rains that fell were not enough to improve the situation,” said the national director of Sinae, Sergio Rico, consulted by local television channel 10.

He indicated that “there was a small rainfall where the only beneficiaries were Colonia, Río Negro, and Soriano (western departments), with no more than 30 millimeters, from 10 to 20 millimeters (average)” and another little rainfall in Rivera (north).

Last week the Uruguayan government extended the agricultural emergency decreed in October until April and expanded the sectors covered by the assistance to producers.

In 2022 and for the third consecutive year, the country decreed the agricultural emergency that distributes resources from the Weather Emergency Fund to producers, such as credits with subsidized interest rates and extended payment terms.

According to the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture, and Fisheries projections, the impact of the “La Niña” phenomenon, which implies a drop in below-normal rainfall, will be reduced during this quarter.

Agroindustrial exports represent more than 80 percent of the country’s shipments.