Paraná State Experiences Worst Drought in 30 Years

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A study by the Department of Rural Economy (DERAL), under the Secretariat of Agriculture and Supply of Paraná, shows that the state is facing the worst drought in 30 years. Bean and corn crops are expected to be the most affected by the historic drought.

The state is the second-largest grain producer in Brazil and one of the largest bean producers in the country. According to the Brazilian Bean and Pulses Institute, Paraná accounts for nearly 30 percent of the national production of the carioca type and 73 percent of black beans.

The study analyzed the volume of rainfall in the first months of the year, compared with the historical average. The data was collected from the Meteorological System of Paraná (SIMEPAR) and the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET).

The report shows that the drought has been occurring since June 2019, but has intensified during the months of March, April, and May this year. In the southern region of the state, where bean crops are concentrated, it rained 47 millimeters in April, while the average is 146.

According to a survey by the Department of Rural Economy, the drought caused productivity to drop approximately 39 percent. The production of the second harvest of beans, which was estimated at 438,000 tons, is only 270,000.

In addition, bean quality was also affected. The report shows that only 17 percent of the crops are in good condition. Another 59 percent are in average condition and 32 percent are poor.

Salatiel Turra, head of the DERAL, explains that if the drought persists, the situation is alarming, but at the moment it has less impact because 80 percent of the crop has already been harvested. “We are concerned about the corn that is still in a development stage and only two percent has been harvested,” he says.

According to Turra, 80 percent of the corn crop in Paraná is in a more critical situation. It is estimated that losses will reach 1.6 million tons, which represents almost 15 percent of production. This means a loss of about R$1 billion (US$201,600) in revenue for the state’s corn producers.

Government decrees water emergency

Because of the drought, the state government decreed a 180-day water emergency in early May. In addition to impacting the countryside, the lack of rainfall also affects the water supply in the Metropolitan Region of Curitiba, where 3.2 million people live.

In some regions of the capital of Paraná, consumption restrictions can be as high as 36 hours, twice a week.

Since March, the Paraná Sanitation Company (SANEPAR) has been operating a water rotation system. Of the four dams that supply the Curitiba region, Iraí is the one in the most critical situation, with 13.72 percent capacity. The whole system holds a total volume of 38.35 percent.

The situation is unlikely to improve

For Pedro Fontão, professor at the Federal University of Paraná and one of the coordinators of the Climatology Laboratory, the situation is not likely to improve soon.

“The forecast scenario for the coming months is not very encouraging, and there is no optimistic and specific prospect in the short and medium-term for more heavy rains, which would solve the situation in reservoirs and agriculture,” he says.

He also warns that the low rainfall could also extend until 2021. “A worrying factor is the possibility of the La Niña phenomenon, which could negatively affect the rains in southern Brazil, by the end of this year and the start of next year,” he says.

Source: Exame

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