Drought in Panama's Azuero region leaves farmers selling cattle as the canal's water supply falls

Summary

Drought is hitting Azuero, an agricultural region in Panama's Arco Seco (Dry Arc). The usually wet rainy season that runs from May to December has brought little rain, so the watering holes, streams and rivers farmers rely on have not been replenished and pastures have not regrown. Failed rains and a dire El Niño threaten the waterway that sustains the country, and farmers are selling cattle to survive. Cattle that should be grazing now slump in the shade of Robert Delgado's fields, with little grass left to eat.

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   20 Oct 2026, 10:00 UTCSource ↗

   The Guardian reports that drought in Panama's Azuero region, where the rainy season has brought little rain, is choking the canal that feeds the nation, with failed rains and a dire El Niño threatening the waterway and farmers selling cattle to survive.