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Guatemala declares national coffee emergency
Coffee rust cited as reason for declaration
Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Posted: 02/09/2013
Last Updated:
103 days ago
GUATEMALA CITY - Guatemala's president has declared a national emergency over the spread of coffee rust, a fungus that is affecting 70 percent of the country's crop.
President Otto Molina Perez also has ordered the release of more than $14 million to aid coffee growers.
He says the funds are aimed at helping 60,000 small farmers to buy pesticides and to teach them how to prevent the disease and stop it from spreading.
Molina said Friday that the pesticides will start being applied to coffee plants in April and that two more applications will be needed during the year.
Coffee rust is currently affecting plantations in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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