Chile extends agriculture emergency for 9 months

The Chilean government has extended a state of agricultural emergency for the first nine months of this year due to the ongoing severe drought that has devastated the country's agricultural sector.

The measure, in effect until Sept 30, will allow authorities to continue assisting farmers and producers across much of the country, stretching from the Atacama Desert in the north to the southernmost tip of Patagonia.

"We are facing water deficit in all major basins from the northern part of the country to the south, with deficits over 40 percent in some cases and almost reaching 75-80 percent in others," said Jaime Pizarro, an agronomist engineer and chief of the technical group at Corporacion Calider, an NGO promoting innovation and rural development in Chile.

The Chilean government's decision to extend aid to the agricultural sector comes as the country grapples with one of the driest periods in its history.

All these measures "allow us to support the most affected sectors and work with regional governments and municipalities on convergent funds … to assist those suffering from this extreme phenomenon across various regions of our country", said Chile's Minister of Agriculture Esteban Valenzuela.

The lack of rainfall has severely affected water resources, leading to crop failures, livestock losses, and economic hardship for many farmers.

"The government implements measures to support those affected in central-southern areas, such as recovery plans and early assistance including animal feed support and aid for beekeeping, as well as irrigation canal recovery, labor retention subsidies, and tax relief," Camila Miranda, a market analyst and project manager at IQonsulting, a company that tracks production and prices in the Chilean fruit market, said.

The extended emergency declaration will enable the government to implement measures aimed at mitigating the drought's impacts and supporting affected communities.

Contingency plan

The contingency plan, covering 13 regions, prioritizes assistance for forestry, agricultural, beekeeping, and livestock producers.

In addition to direct aid, the government invests in long-term water management solutions. These include infrastructure projects to improve water storage and distribution, and initiatives to promote water conservation practices among farmers.

Obtaining materials, machinery and funds, which are commonly accessible to large private companies, poses a significant challenge, according to agronomist engineer Benjamin San Martin.

According to San Martin, the government has been working through the Agricultural Development Institute to overcome this challenge, injecting more funds than usual, to help people.

"The drought already beginning in many areas poses an even greater problem. There is a need to subsidize irrigation projects, especially those using advanced techniques, to optimize water use," he said.

The writers are freelance journalists for China Daily.