Dammed coffee harvest by winter wave in La Jagua de Ibirico

The inhabitants of the villages of La Guarumera, Caudaloso, Manizales Bajo, San Antonio, El Diamante and Sororia, in the municipality of La Jagua de Ibirico, are experiencing a difficult situation due to floods and landslides, where farmers do not They have been able to harvest the coffee harvest, which represents more than approximately 5 thousand cans, due to the clogging of the roads due to the winter wave that hits the area.

The rural area is practically cut off and despite some efforts made by members of the community to clear the roads, collapse is imminent, while the rain forecasts are not encouraging at all.

“We have been incommunicado for nine days, we have brought two bow-tie-type teams, but they have been insufficient to remove the collapse. “We have more than 5,000 cans of coffee dammed on the verge of being lost, with the work that is being done they are not enough to remove all of this dammed cargo,” said Luis Hernández, a resident of the area.

In addition to coffee, there are other crops on the verge of being lost, which generates great concern among small producers, who would lose an entire year’s work due to the rainy season. “We need help from the authorities, we have to clear the roads and execute a contingency plan to reduce the amount of food harvested, in addition to coffee,” said Alfredo Lobos, a farmer.

Geovanny Chona Pedroza, affected in the La Guarumera village due to the heavy rains, assured that in the area there are vehicles loaded with coffee behind the landslides, whose shipments could be damaged in the next few hours if alternatives are sought to mobilize them.

“We are waiting for the machine they are managing and to be able to remove the collapses. The San Antonio, Sororia and El Diamante sidewalks are also in chaos,” he explained.

Likewise, the affected communities are waiting for the visit of officials from the Departmental Risk Management Office, so that they can evaluate the damage and manage aid with national agencies if necessary.

Regarding the Manizales Bajo village, where the river is about to overflow and tear down the bridge that allows them to communicate with the rest of the towns in the rural area. The rising of the river has carried away several caracolí trees, creating a blockage that could generate large-scale flooding.

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