It was a measure enacted at the end of October last year to protect activities such as animal husbandry, dairy farming, horticulture, fruit growing and agriculture, which have been affected by the persistent lack of rainfall.
It would be the third time that President Luis Lacalle Pou’s current government has resorted to the agricultural emergency.
The Secretary of State of the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP), Juan Ignacio Buffa, commented that the Agricultural Emergency Committee will study the situation based on data from various indicators and weather parameters, as well as the forage supply.
Buffa considered the rains of the past few days to be insufficient.
He warned that it is a “cumulative process” due to the unavailability of moisture in the soil, a situation affecting different sectors of agriculture.
For its part, the National Institute for Agricultural Research conducted a study that included “critical thresholds” for soil water content.
The declaration of a state of emergency frees up agricultural funds, which are means to support small farmers and family producers through loans.
The water deficit also affects drinking water consumption, the supply of which was considered “concerning” in several regions of the country.
lam/ool