Jul 02, 2021
Generalized Frosts Occurred Across South-Central Brazil
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
Sub-freezing temperatures were recorded in southern Brazil early Thursday morning for the third consecutive night. The safrinha corn was most impacted by the cold temperatures, but sugarcane, coffee, and orange production was also affected.
Parana is the second largest safrinha corn producing state in Brazil and the corn in the state had already been impacted by a historic drought in south-central Brazil. The recent freezing temperatures will reduce the corn yields even more especially for the latest planted corn. The cold temperatures also impacted the safrinha corn in the states of Mato Grosso do Sul, Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Goias.
In the municipality of Cascavel in western Parana, the Coopavel Cooperative reported temperatures as low as -1.2°C Wednesday night (29°F). Normally, 30-40% of the safrinha corn would have been harvested by now, but the corn in the region was planted 30 days later than normal so much of the corn was still sensitive to freezing temperatures. Only the corn that was approaching maturity escaped damage. The Department of Rural Economics reported earlier this week that 2% of the safrinha corn in Parana had been harvested.
In the municipality of Marechal Candido Rondon in western Parana, the prolonged drought had already reduced the corn yields by as much as 40% and now three nights of freezing temperatures may have reduced the yields another 40% for the latest planted corn.
All the agronomists in the region indicated that it would take as long as a week to accurately judge the extent of the damage to the safrinha corn.
In addition to the safrinha corn, the freezing temperatures also impacted the heart of sugarcane production in the state of Sao Paulo as well as coffee production in Sao Paulo and in southern Minas Gerais where the coffee is in the process of being harvested.
There is not much coffee produced in Parana, but in the municipality of Carlopolis, which is the largest coffee producing municipality in Parana, growers reported that coffee leaves had been killed by the cold temperatures.
Orange growers in the region also reported frozen fruit.