Jul 06, 2021
Coldest Temperatures in 20 Years Impacts Brazil's Safrinha Corn
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
It has been the "trifecta" of problems for Brazil's 2020-21 safrinha corn. It was planted historically late, it was then impacted by a historical drought, and now it was impacted by some of the coldest temperatures in 20 years.
A mass of artic air swept into southern Brazil last week with the coldest temperatures of the season thus far. Widespread frosts/freezes were reported across southern Brazil and Paraguay for three consecutive nights. The safrinha corn in the states of Parana, Mato Grosso do Sul, Sao Paulo, Goias, and Minas Gerais had already been severely impacted by some of the driest weather ever recorded in south-central Brazil. Losses from the frosts will make a bad situation even worse.
The damage is also expected to be severe in neighboring Paraguay where the corn crop experienced strong frosts/freezes. This is important for livestock producers in Brazil because they have been importing corn from Paraguay due to the lack of available corn supplies in Brazil.
The frosts occurred as far north as the state of Goias and in addition to the safrinha corn, the cold temperatures also impacted sugarcane, coffee, and citrus. Livestock producers will also be impacted by higher corn prices due to very tight corn supplies.