More than 900 hectares of vineyards and 1,000 hectares worth of olive and vegetable plantations have been damaged by recent floods in northern Chile, according to estimates released today by the National Agriculture Society (SNA).

Damaged cold storage facilities on a Unifrutti property.

The announcement follows a visit by SNA president Patricio Crespo, who recently traveled to Copiapó to assess the situation.

The organization says property damages to grape-growing areas exceeded US$50 million and have compromised the working activity of about 25,000 people.

Click here for more information relating to the floods in northern Chile.

In a release, Crespo highlighted in grapevines alone each hectare represented an investment of at least US$60,000.

"In the majority of cases, it involves hectares that have been completely destroyed by mud, adding to destroyed infrastructure, agricultural machinery and irrigation systems," he said.

"The seriousness of this scenario iss een in that the hectares that weren't touched by the mudslides need to be irrigated with urgency, or the loss will be total."

He said between 18,000-20,000 employees would be affected next season as many growers lost their workforce, and could not attend to their properties.

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