Farmers in Brazil and Argentina, the world’s second-largest grain exporter, are currently suffering from drought linked to the El Nina weather phenomenon, which last year condemned the state of Texas to the worst single-year drought in recorded history.

image expired

Farmers in the affected countries have been forced to decide either to sow new crops, which risk being killed off by frosts in March and April, or keep going with those already in the ground, which, for the most part, have been severely damaged by an ongoing lack of rain and temperatures rising towards 40^oC.

The weather in Argentina and parts of Brazil has already affected maize production. Brazilian forecasters last week said that an estimated 11 million metric tonnes of maize may have been lost in the two countries as a result of the heat and drought. The adverse weather is forecast to lower Argentina’s maize production to 6 tonnes per hectare, down from 6.9 tonnes.

A heatwave is expected over the next week, with temperatures peaking around Sunday, though meteorologists have said a cold front may bring storms to the country next week. However, they said rains will be unevenly distributed. Farmers in Argentina have said they need upwards of 100mm of rain to revive their crops. 

Although soybeans have been affected by the drought, their plight is nowhere near as bad as that of maize crops. Brazil and Argentina are the world’s second and third largest soybean exporters respectively. However, only 40 per cent of the soybean growing areas in Argentina have received the minimum rainfall necessary for production.

Drought also affecting Mexico

The La Nina is also having an effect in Paraguay and Mexico, where parts of the country are in the grip of their worst ever droughts. Experts have said the damage could result in a 1-2 million tonne drop in the Mexican maize crop, compared to last year’s 24.5 million tonnes.

The Mexican government has said it is spending millions of dollars on helping communities in the affected Northern states, which are experiencing water scarcity. The government also said it was relocating corn crops from the Northern states to South-Eastern states. Meteorologists in Mexico have warned that the drought could persist until June. This year’s drought follows very little rainfall in the North of Mexico in 2011.

Tweet