Over 18,000 hectares hit by drought in Bolivia

The National Institute of Agricultural Insurance (INSA) identified that 18,000 hectares out of 91,000 were reported as affected by climate phenomena so as to be benefited with the compensation established by the insurance, informed the director of the state organization, Erick Murillo.

“After checking the 91,000 hectares reported as affected, it has been established that 18,000 had been really damaged by the inclemency of the weather, and most of them are receiving the insurance benefit for the droughts”, he explained in an interview on Patria Nueva radio.

Murillo said that the town of Puna was one of the most sensitive cases, where 1,000 hectares were affected by droughts, along with Totora and Guitierrez, where less than 1,000 were damaged. Consequently, “the insurance gives one thousand Bolivian pesos per hectare, covering up to three affected hectares, and we have 8,300,000 Bolivian pesos (US$ 1,165,760) to pay the insurance benefit of all the affected lands”, he stated.