Besides damaging the agriculture, food and vegetable producers in the South of Chile, the massive snow falls in Aysén have affected the livestock as well. This morning, the Austral Agriculture-Livestock Organization, estimated about 100 thousand livestock are in productivity or life risk due to the snow.
Marcos Peede, president of this organization, told Cooperativa radio that this number includes cattle, sheep and horses. “There are places we can’t reach with the hay and animals are starving.”
The government has been involved and granted aid to the area, Peede assured, but has not reached every sector. “The government declared an agricultural emergency and got 10 thousand bonds for small producers, but a significant number of independent farmers has been left outside of this group. We are concerned because animals are dying which will lead to productivity issues,” Peede said.
There are still areas without electricity due to trees collapsing on power lines. For some this adds up to nine days without power or drinking water. The Agricultural Minister, José Antonio Galilea, suggested an insurance for farmers. “It would be a great contribution to farming areas like Aysén where they are going through really harsh times,” Galilea said.
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