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La Nina set to impact agriculture in Central America, Caribbean

Xinhua, April 29, 2016 Adjust font size:

The imminent arrival of a La Nina weather phenomenon could wreak havoc on agriculture in Central America and the Caribbean by bringing excessive rain and flooding, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) said Thursday.

The drought which has been affecting the region since 2014 is weakening, leading to a high probability that torrential rains may soon follow, a statement from the IICA said.

Having predicted that La Nina would begin to appear in July, the institute is planning a seminar to discuss potential repercussions and preventive actions to be taken.

"La Nina is associated with abundant rain, floods, landslides and an impact on infrastructure across Central America. Furthermore, it can spark active cyclone seasons, which would have serious implications for the regional agricultural sector," the statement said, adding that coffee and banana crops are particularly at risk.

Ligia Cordoba, an expert with the Central American Agricultural Council, said that farmers in the region tend to pay close attention to weather reports so as to be ready to act when different climate patterns appear.

"The maintenance of drainage canals is one of the main recommendations in terms of preventive measures," Cordoba said.

La Nina is a cooling of the ocean surface off the western coast of South America, occurring periodically every four to 12 years and affecting Pacific and other weather patterns. Endi