MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's agriculture secretary says drought has cost the country 1.5 million tons of food production, most of it corn.
Alberto Cardenas said Friday that crops on at least 313,000 hectares (773,423 acres) have been ruined because of lack of rain during July and most of August. That's 3 percent of nearly 11 million hectares (26 million acres) planted.
Cardenas announced a late-planting program of 320,000 hectares (790,720 acres) in eight of Mexico's 32 states to make up for the losses. He said predictions of more rain in the next weeks could help make the program successful.
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