Lack of rainfall threatens Costa Rican agriculture

A drier than usual rainy season in Costa Rica especially will affect the northwestern province of Guanacaste, as government officials already foresee problems for agriculture and livestock in the area.

Rainfall records from the National Meteorological Institute (IMN) also support the conclusion that a drought has hit the area and other parts of the country.

The Agriculture and Livestock Ministry reported that currently 20,000 hectares of farmland are being irrigated to deal with the lack of rainfall, but already a large number of rice farmers have stopped farming due to a shortage of water.

Data from the Livestock Development Corporation indicate that some 396,000 head of cattle in the Central and North Pacific regions could be affected.

IMN also said the climatic phenomenon known as “El Niño” could continue causing problems across the country for the rest of the year.