Efecto lluvias: Esperan alza de precio de aquí a fiestas patrias en lechuga, e incluso apio y tomate

To discuss the strategies the Ministry of Agriculture is implementing to address the El Niño phenomenon and climate change, as well as the current context, we spoke with Luis Sáez, an academic from the Department of Agricultural Management at the University of Santiago (Usach). Furthermore, given the current emergency caused by heavy rains in the Norte Chico region, the head of the Agribusiness Engineering program stated, “We could see problems with the destruction or damage that vegetables may suffer in the northern zone. Lettuce, in particular, is a product widely consumed by Chileans and is produced extensively in the Coquimbo region, specifically in Ovalle, La Serena, and Combarbalá. In some areas, these crops will be completely lost, and in other parts of the same region, the harvest will simply be delayed.” “With the poor road conditions, the difficulty of harvesting, accessing the fields, and transporting the produce to consumption centers, wholesale markets, and then farmers' markets, it will be difficult and will lead to a decrease in supply. (…) We should expect a price increase between now and September 18th, especially for vegetables like lettuce, and we could even include celery and tomatoes,” he added. 📻 Listen to Radio Usach on 94.5 FM and at www.diariousach.cl, and connect to Radio Usach TV on channel 50.2 of the Open Digital Television network.