Sumbe - A total of 13 hectares of corn, beans and tomatoes in the municipality of Cassongue, Cuanza-Sul province, have been devastated by a herd of hippos, said the municipal director of agriculture, Francisco Gaspar, on Tuesday.
According to the agricultural director, the crops were grown in a place that is considered a habitat for hippos, and to counteract the situation, it is necessary to build long ditches to prevent the animals from entering the cultivation areas.
The official urged farmers to avoid planting crops in places considered hippo habitat.
Venâncio Januário, one of the affected farmers, is calling on the authorities to intervene as he will be without food in the coming days.
"The destruction of crops has been repeated for three years, especially in corn, beans and cassava," said farmer Manuel Samuel.
In the last three years, hippos have destroyed more than 20 hectares of different crops in Cassongue. SN/LC/ALH/DAN/AMP
