El Niño threatens 500,000 hectares in Manabí; cocoa, banana crops at risk

Ecuador's Manabí province faces a dual threat from El Niño-driven flooding and mass movements, endangering over 500,000 hectares of agricultural land. Cocoa and banana producers are preemptively cleaning drains and reinforcing crops, indicating an active preparation phase. The scale of at-risk area and the double hazard elevate this from routine weather to a significant regional climate event with potential economic impact on Ecuador's key export crops.