Severe snowfall in Bolivia has affected 82,728 families and damaged 28,799 hectares of crops [1].
The scale of the damage threatens local food security and the livelihoods of thousands of farmers across the Andean highlands. Because agriculture is a primary economic driver in these regions, the loss of nearly 29,000 hectares of crops could lead to significant market instability.
The Bolivian Ministry of Defense said the figures on Monday, reporting that the climatic phenomenon persisted for two weeks [1]. The snowfall impacted six of the country's nine administrative regions [1].
According to government data, the affected areas include critical agricultural zones where the sudden drop in temperature and accumulation of snow devastated plantings [1]. While some reports rounded the number of impacted families to approximately 82,000 [2], the official count provided by the ministry is 82,728 [1].
The ministry did not specify the exact types of crops lost, but the geographical spread suggests a wide variety of highland produce was impacted. The government is currently assessing the total economic loss resulting from the weather events, a process that continues as officials survey the six regions [1].
This event follows a pattern of volatile weather in the region, though the Ministry of Defense said this specific instance was a strong climatic phenomenon [1]. The impact on the 82,728 families includes not only the loss of income from crops, but also potential damage to livestock and infrastructure [1].
“Snowfall has affected more than 82,000 families and damaged 28,799 hectares of crops.”
The concentration of damage across two-thirds of Bolivia's regions indicates a systemic weather event rather than a localized storm. This level of agricultural loss typically necessitates government intervention through subsidies or food aid to prevent long-term poverty spikes in rural highland communities.
