🌊 Between floods and droughts 🏜

Hello, and welcome back to Brazil Agro. This week, we examine the climate challenges disrupting farmers in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. If you have any questions about this newsletter or topics you’d like to see covered in future issues, you can reach me at [email protected] 

A new year, a new climate disturbance for farmers in Brazil’s South

Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil’s southernmost state, made global headlines in May 2024 when catastrophic floods displaced more than 580,000 people and left 183 dead. Less than a year later, the state is facing another climate disaster — one that is all too familiar to its farmers.

A prolonged drought has gripped the central and western regions of Rio Grande do Sul, where rainfall has remained below average since November. An intense heatwave has recently exacerbated the crisis, threatening the state’s crucial soybean harvest. According to Emater-RS, the state-run agricultural agency, some areas are already suffering severe production losses, with some fields registering total failure.

The dry spell and extreme heat have prompted emergency declarations in about 10 percent of the state’s municipalities, and the start of the state’s school year has been temporarily postponed. In the fields, delays in planting have already been reported, and the lack of rainfall could further disrupt germination, deepening concerns among farmers — many of whom are still reeling from the financial strain of last year’s floods.

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