Peruvian experts predict another La Niña phenomenon in the Central Pacific

The last La Niña phenomenon was registered in Peru between August 2020 and January 2021. The climatic anomaly led to reduction of planted areas in this agricultural campaign. In the last quarter of 2020, the reserve level of the country's main water reservoirs fell below half, due to the lack of rainfall.

 

The National Study for the El Niño Phenomenon (Enfen) projects a 62% probability of a new La Niña event of mild magnitude in the Central Pacific. It is expected to develop between spring 2021 and summer 2022, according to the National Meteorology and Hydrology Service (Senamhi). (Ed.Note: the spring in Peru starts in September).

 

The La Niña phenomenon is characterized by lowering the sea temperature, which can significantly reduce the rains in the central and southern highlands of Peru next spring, in October and November in particular, according to Glicerio Canchari, specialist in Agrometeorology of the Senamhi.

 

As a consequence, it could delay the start of the 2021-2022 planting season, specifically the one in the central and southern highlands, which will start next September.

 

Canchari stressed that the absence of rains can delay the sowing of the main crops in the high Andean region (potatoes, starchy corn, broad beans, peas, dry grains, and native crops cultivated only in dry land).

 

For the northern highlands, in the period between August and October 2021, they project moderate levels of rainfall, anticipating that they begin this month and increase in September.

 

For this spring they project that the conditions for agricultural activity in the mountains and the north coast will improve, while the previous year these regions were affected by the absence of rain, also due to La Niña phenomenon.

 

In this regard, according to the Enfen report, the temperatures in July were normal, which favored the flowering of the mango in Piura, of the Kent mango in Lambayeque, and favored the vegetative development of rice.

 

For next summer, they project a greater probability of excess rainfall in the mountains and jungle, especially in the south, which could offset the delays that occur at the beginning of the season, according to the Senamhi expert.