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Storms affect 569, 000 hectares in Mexico: president

03 October 2013 04:35 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Mexico' s President Enrique Pena Nieto said on Wednesday that heavy rains caused by the two storms Ingrid and Manuel has damaged 569, 000 hectares of farmland, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Pena Nieto said in the northwestern state Tamaulipas that the Agriculture Ministry should reinforce efforts to support farmers, with land either damaged or not.

"The 569,000 affected hectares for those families who depend on these crops meant significant damage," Pena Nieto said when meeting with local farmers and ranchers, stressing that the government should ensure those storm-stricken farmers with insurance to get compensations.

Pena Nieto said he had instructed the Economy Ministry to monitor strictly to stabilize food price.

"Mexico is obliged to ensure their food security, so we can grow in a sustained and sustainable way, so that we could ensure that these generations have higher quality of life," he added.

The two storms hit Mexico simultaneously in mid-September, causing floods, landslides, and vast damage to homes and infrastructure.

The disaster has killed at least 147 people and did damage to more than 300 municipalities as 1.2 million people were affected with tens of thousands people still staying in temporary shelters.