Colombia weighs economic emergency as drought leaves farmers struggling

Colombia is facing a severe drought in the northern Sucre region as the effects of El Nino leave farmers struggling to keep their cattle alive. The country’s cattle federation says more than 3,200 animals died in the Sucre area between June and late September, among roughly 19,000 deaths reported nationwide. Rancher Juan Pablo Correa says 143 cattle have died on the farms he manages despite efforts to find pasture and water. His attempts to grow maize for animal feed have also failed because of a lack of rain. Forecasters expect 70 to 80 percent less rain by the end of the year, raising fears that keeping cattle alive could become impossible. The government has announced support for cattle feed and irrigation and plans to postpone agricultural loan repayments, while questioning some industry loss figures. Some farmers say they are still waiting for assistance. Al Jazeera’s Alessandro Rampietti reports from San Pedro, Colombia. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X : https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.news/AJEMobile #Colombia #ElNino #Drought #Cattle #Farmers #Sucre #AlJazeeraEnglish