MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay: Agriculture emergency lifted except for fruits and horticulture

Fruit and horticulture were spared because of a cloudburst that caused damage to crops in November

Uruguayan authorities Wednesday declared the end of the agricultural emergency adopted in October 2022 to address the water deficit the country was going through, it was reported in Montevideo. The measure was extended several times to support those producers most affected by the climate situation.

The latest decision by the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries (MGAP) left the fruit and horticulture sectors aside but applies to livestock and all the other items in the industry, MGAP's Nicolás Chiesa confirmed.

Chiesa, who runs the ministry's farming department, explained that the emergency was lifted after taking into account the numerous variables that are gauged for such a decision which affected the livestock, agriculture, dairy, apiculture, poultry, and forestry sectors.

According to Chiesa, the exception to fruit and horticulture applied because several growers in the department (province) of Salto (northwest) had been affected by a cloudburst that caused damage to their crops in November.

The MGAP offered producers “affected by the strong storms that occurred during the month of December 2023 in some departments of the national territory” to apply for support.