AlQa'dah 30, 1436, Sep 14, 2015, SPA-- The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said Monday that this year's cereal outputs in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua have been severely reduced due to dry weather associated with El Nino. El Nino, a weather phenomenon that produces higher surface water temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean, is accompanied by dry spells that can delay planting, reduce planting areas, and stifle crop development. The resulting crop loss this year will put a large number of farmers in need of agricultural assistance as the sub-region tries to recover, FAO said in a statement. "This year's El Nino impacts are even more intense than last's," said Felix Baquedano, an economist at FAO's Global Information and Early Warning System unit. "After two years of intensifying dry weather, it's critical that we support farmers to recuperate some of their losses by helping them achieve stronger yields in the second season." The FAO is providing support to the government of Guatemala and also is giving direct assistance to production and support to food and nutrition monitoring systems in Honduras. It also continues to support the El Salvador government to adapt local agriculture to the effects of climate change.
