Jan 13, 2022

Parana Farmers Feel Losses are Worse than Government Estimates

Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.

The prolonged drought in southern Brazil has hit the state of Parana harder than any other state in Brazil. In a recent meeting with local producers in the city of Maringa located in northern Parana, technicians from the Department of Rural Economics for the state of Parana (Deral), the National Supply Company (Conab), and other state agencies explained how they arrived at their most recent soybean crop estimates for the state.

Deral estimated that soybean yield losses in the state are as high as 50%, but the president of the Rural Union of Maringa, Jose Antonio Borghi, took issue with that estimate. He feels the regional soybean losses are more in the range of 70-80%. He indicated that he has farmed in the region for 50 years and he has never seen a drought this severe during this time of the year.

Borghi feels the situation is more dire than what has been estimated by the official governmental organizations. Other directors of the Rural Union of Maringa agree with the president and indicated that soybean losses in the region are in the range of 80% and that many fields will not even be harvested. It is not just soybeans that have been affected, the drought has also impacted corn, sugarcane, milk production, and pastures.

The directors of the Rural Union urged the government officials to reevaluate their estimates to aid producers when they are forced to renegotiate with their banks, cooperative, and input suppliers.