Emergencies Declared in Brazil Due to Drought and Floods

To show how strange the weather has been in Brazil this growing season, the governor of Parana declared a statewide emergency last Friday due to the prolonged drought in the state, especially in the western part of the state. In the state of Rio Grande do Sul, individual municipalities have also declared a state of emergency due to drought.

In contrast, the governor of the state of Bahia in northeastern Brazil declared an emergency in much of the state due to excessive rains that have resulted in breeched dames, widespread flooding, and thousands of people forced out of their homes. Most of the flooding has been in southern Bahia where there is only minor soybean and corn production. In the main grain producing region of western Bahia, farmers have complained about constant overcast skies and a lack of sunshine since about mid-November.

The extreme weather in opposite ends of Brazil is the result of La Nina in the Pacific Ocean which is expected to moderate in the coming months. Until then, farmers in southern Brazil are hoping for rain and farmers in central Brazil are hoping for sunshine and less rain.

Soybean & Corn Advisor

Tags: Bahia, corn, Brazil, weather, soybean, Production, Parana, flooding, emergency