A mass of cold air has hit Brazilian regions where safrinha corn (second crop corn) is produced, and although it is early to say because the frost just happened this Monday and Tuesday, producers are indicating that at least 50% of the production is suffering - some farmers even risk saying yield losses of 70% to 90%.

The mass caused a strong frost to arrive in the mid-south region of Brazil. Frost formations like these have not been seen in the country for a long time. Such weather also damaged coffee and sugar cane productions in São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Paraná.

The corn production of Paraná state that was already impacted by the dry weather throughout the season now faced frost and temperatures reaching 24 F, very low and atypical for the tropical Brazil. There is no doubt: the impact of the cold will reduce even more the size of this year’s corn harvest.

Brazil’s water crisis

Expert Pedro Artaxo of the University of São Paulo says that the dry weather is caused by a combination of La Niña and climate changes and the lack of rain in the past few months. It’s not only affecting the agricultural sector; there is a concerning possibility of an energy crisis in the country.

A Water Emergency Alert to the Paraná Bay, that supplies the states of Minas Gerais, Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo, and Paraná, was issued and informed by the Ministry of Agriculture, because water levels in dams are far below capacity.

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