Emergency in Portuguesa: river overflows flood more than 400 hectares of maize in Santa Rosalía

The news article reports an emergency situation in the municipality of Santa Rosalía, Portuguesa state, Venezuela, after river overflows caused by intense rainfall in the highland areas of Portuguesa and neighboring Lara state. According to the source, between 400 and 500 hectares of maize were flooded near the La Redoma settlement, while livestock and thousands of additional hectares remained under extreme vulnerability. Local agricultural leader Víctor Castillo warned that the situation poses a risk to local agri-food security and noted that more than 1,000 hectares of rice, maize, cassava and plantain were at risk, with around 15,000 additional hectares on alert in the La Chaconera area. The article also reports potential economic losses of between USD 1,000 and USD 2,000 per hectare due to investments already made in seeds, land preparation and agricultural inputs, and refers to demands for drainage works in the Canal Piloto, maintenance of the Portuguesa River and containment infrastructure in high-risk areas.