The Association of Small Farmers of the Maule region (Apecrima) has expressed its concern about the critical situation faced by thousands of animals trapped in the mountain range due to recent adverse weather conditions.
The ranchers of the region have seen how their herds of sheep, cattle and goats have been immobilized in high grazing areas, especially in sectors such as the Maule Lagoon, Pehuenche Pass and Campanario, where the accumulation of snow has reached nearly one meter, seriously complicating the subsistence of the animals.
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More of 30 muleteers have been directly affected by these weather events that surprised them before they could evacuate their animals. Efforts to move the herds have been constant for more than ten days, seeking to cross the control barrier of the Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) to be able to evacuate the animals safely, inform Online Maule.
The situation was aggravated by the latest storm, which in addition to the difficulties caused by the snow, has complicated access to the corrals and boarding gates that are under the control of the SAG. According to statements by the muleteers, These critical points have remained padlocked, preventing the proper use of the facilities necessary for the management and evacuation of livestock. Given the urgency of the situation, some animal owners, assisted by Carabineros, were forced to break the padlocks to be able to load the trucks with the animals and save them from hunger and extreme cold.
Furthermore, the crianceros have denounced a lack of support and discrimination from the authorities, indicating that they have been denied access to adequate shelters, which has forced them to improvise accommodations with canvas and nylon. This desperate measure reflects the severity of the conditions faced by both the animals and their caretakers.
The community of breeders, through Apecrima, is calling for a more effective and sensitive response from the authorities to confront this emergency which puts both animal life and the economic subsistence of the region’s muleteers at risk.
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