About 500 hectares of banana plantations, of which 1,800 are in the valley of Zarumilla, in the Tumbes, were affected by strong winds last week.

A thousand producers have been seriously affected due to the great number of banana plants that have been uprooted by the wind, while many of those which managed to withstand the storm have been weakened and are expected to fall in the coming days.

Growers do not have enough money to face the losses and start with the replanting process, which takes six to eight months to bring results. In this regard, the Regional Directorate of Agriculture reported that the damages are currently being assessed and that a plan to help the growers affected could be launched.

Source - http://www.freshplaza.com