Argentina: heavy rains, severe flooding in Buenos Aires province

Buenos Aires - More than three million hectares in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, are flooded due to heavy rains in recent weeks, forcing the provincial government to declare agricultural emergency to offset the huge losses in cattle and crops.

The second wettest winter in 60 years is ravaging the Province of Buenos Aires. Between 1.100 and 1.300 millimeters of rain fell in the south-central region of the province during August. The area affected by the climatic phenomenon amounts to 3.5 million hectares, according to a survey conducted by the Provincial Ministry of Land Affairs. "It has rained twice as much in the past 8 months than it rained all last year. This generates large accumulation of water which causes serious damage," said the governor of Buenos Aires, Daniel Scioli, reports ElNuevoHerald (In Spanish). The provincial government estimates that so far about 14% of the total agricultural land, representing over 3.5 million hectares of wheat and barley are lost, according to Businessweek. Officials estimate that the excess water will also affect bee-keeping and cattle stock, the main activity of the flooded area, just at a time when the cows are in the process of calving, reports Todayonline.