Aug 28, 2024
Record Number of Wildfires Recorded Across Brazil
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
Brazil has recorded a record number of wildfires across the country due to an early start to the annual dry season, above normal temperatures, and low relative humidity. The state of Sao Paulo has been particularly hard hit with 2,621 fires recorded between August 22-24.
An estimated 60,000 hectares of sugarcane (148,200 acres) have been impacted by fire, or approximately 1% of the 4.3 million hectares (10.6 million acres) of sugarcane planted in the state of Sao Paulo. The Union of Sugarcane Industries (Unica) indicated that processors will prioritize the harvesting of the fields impacted by the fires. If the sugarcane was mature at the time of the fire, losses will be minimal. If the sugarcane was not yet mature, losses may be more significant.
Sugarcane is usually harvested five different times before the crop is replanted. If the fire impacted a field that had already been harvested and the sugarcane had started to regrow, the regrowing process could have been interrupted, which could result in lower production next year.
During the same period, the state of Mato Grosso recorded 1,273 fires and the state of Para, in the eastern Amazon region, recorded 1,036 fires. In fact, a prolonged drought in the eastern Amazon has impacted the water levels along tributaries to the Amazon River disrupting shipping operations.