La Paz, Baja California Sur, (OEM-Informex) .- The rains that were recorded earlier this week in the Sierra de San Francisco in the municipality of Mulegé filled most of the dams where cattle drink water and They were enough for the regrowth of the pastures, however it will take at least a year for the goat farmers to begin to see the results, because the drought of 16 consecutive months did not allow calving and therefore there was no milk for production of cheeses, the main source of sustenance for those rancherías.
The subdelegate of San Francisco de la Sierra Everardo Arvizu reported that it was one of the most severe droughts in all of history, which led many goat farmers to release their animals in the mountains so that they were close to the few places where there was still something of water, located very far from the rancherías.
Just a few days after the first rain fell, ranchers are recovering their herds and taking stock of the impact of the drought; Although there are no final data yet, it is estimated that the number of goat deaths will be very high, although with the possibility of recovery in the following calvings in an approximate time of 8 months.
To the critical situation that caused the drought in one of the poorest regions of the state located in the Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve and that required humanitarian aid to bring food to the region, is added the Covid-19 health crisis.
Despite the geographic isolation and the dispersion of the rancherías, the virus also reached them; three villagers fell ill, although none had severe symptoms requiring hospitalization.
The cave paintings, the main attraction of the region, which until before the pandemic were visited by hundreds of tourists, was also affected; Months of closure of the activity left the ranchers without the scarce income from this activity and although at the end of April the visits were resumed, there is little influx.
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For the locals the crisis has not passed; the effects of the drought and the pandemic continue to affect families who barely have enough to eat twice a day.
Political campaigns came to an end and food aid for some candidates declined; humanitarian pantries are becoming less and less.
With all and these adversities, Everardo Arvizu points out that the rains of the last days were like a blessing, now to wait for the herds to recover and that there is cheese production.
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