Dry Spell Devastates Argentina’s Agriculture

STROEDER, Argentina — What once was a thriving cattle operation now looks more like a graveyard, entombed by desert. Argentina is suffering from its worst drought in almost four decades. The government recently suspended the weight requirements for cattle, so ranchers can profit from their emaciated herds.

Traditionally one of the world’s breadbaskets and a top exporter of cash crops to countries such as the United States, Argentina could lose up to five billion dollars due to the unusual dry spell, reports the Arizona Daily Star.

National weather experts attribute the drought to wind currents from the Southern Atlantic — winds preventing the typically wetter Pacific fronts from forming rain clouds over the nation. Some regions of the country are declaring national emergencies, a move that President Cristina Fernandez worries will drain the government’s tax base.

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Source: Arizona Daily Star