Prolonged drought in North-Eastern Brazil has taken its toll on livestock farming and sugar cane production. Farming groups estimate that 60 percent of livestock in hard-hit regions have died or been moved, as the drought enters its 19th Month.

Unprecedented cattle die offs and scarce availability of water have forced many of the region's ranchers to sell off the majority of their herds to buy feed for the remaining animals. As supplies of fodder have now been exhausted, many farmers are resorting to feeding their cattle on cacti.

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In some cases, entire farming communities are preparing to leave the region, stating that they cannot survive another month without rain. Water scarcity is so severe in certain areas that it has caused conflicts, leading to several deaths.

The Brazilian government is providing emergency relief using funds from a stalled irrigation programme and offering additional credit to small farmers. President Dilma Rousseff raised the possibility of a dam-building project to improve irrigation in November, but progress has been extremely slow.

Eduardo Salles, agriculture secretary of Bahia state, described the situation as "the worst drought in 50 years, with consequences that could be compared to a violent earthquake." Salles' administration has maligned that, in the face of worsening drought, federal support has been inadequate.