Southern Brazil Harvest Conditions To Improve
By Andrew Owen
Kansas City, March 9 (World Weather Inc.) – Much drier weather is expected to evolve in southern Brazil after a band of significant rain and thunderstorms moves through the region today and early Thursday. The drier biased conditions will prevail for the balance of the seven-day forecast 
ending next week at this time. The lack of rain will help firm up the topsoil and promote a better environment for maturation and harvest conditions. In the meantime, areas from northern Sao Paulo and southern Minas Gerais through Goias and northern Mato Grosso will see frequent precipitation through the middle of next week resulting in some delay to fieldwork and a slowing of crop maturation rates. Northeastern sections of Brazil’ summer crop region remain drier than usual with restricted rainfall.
Rainfall varied across Brazil during the past week. Some of the wettest locations were from northern Sao Paulo and much of Minas Gerais (excluding the northeast) to Mato Grosso, Goias, and western fringes of Bahia where rain amounts during the seven day period ending today ranged from 0.75 to 3.60 inches. Local rain totals as great as 6.42 inches resulted at Franca, Sao Paulo. Parana, Santa Catarina, and much of Rio Grande do Sul outside areas near Uruguay reported 0.50 to 2.25 inches with local amounts up to 4.57 inches. Mato Grosso do Sul only 
received light rain in most areas while the remaining portions of northeastern Brazil were mostly dry. Southern Rio Grande do Sul also reported mostly light rain.
Soil conditions are saturated with moisture in most of the wettest areas noted above. Flooding was suspected, in Sao Paulo and southern Minas Gerais, where some of the heaviest rain has fallen in recent weeks. These locations need drier weather for better maturation and harvest conditions. Additional rainfall in some of these wetter biased areas will further slow or delay crop maturation and fieldwork. Crop quality declines are possible in the wetter areas, although most of the crop will “weather” the situation relatively well.
Northeastern Minas Gerais and neighboring areas in eastern and central Bahia still have a shortage of moisture. Recent rain was welcome in western Bahia and northwestern Minas Gerais, but it was not enough 
to fix moisture deficits stemming from multiple years of drought. Much of northeastern Brazil still needs additional rain to end drought and to restore water reservoirs to normal. Production cuts are still expected this year in most of the northeast because of serious dryness that occurred both early and late in the growing season.
Maturation and harvest conditions were mostly favorable in Mato Grosso do Sul and immediate neighboring areas during the past week. Southern Rio Grande do Sul also saw mostly favorable fieldwork conditions and enough moisture remains in the soil to carry on normal crop development for a few weeks, especially with the rain that is expected today and Thursday.
A band of strong showers and thunderstorms will advance across portions of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, and southern Parana today. Rain amounts will range from 0.40 to 1.50 inches with local amounts of 2.50 inches or more, which could keep many producers out of the fields. Lingering showers will continue in portions of southern Brazil and neighboring areas in Parana and Sao Paulo Thursday, although no heavy rainfall is expected. Southern Brazil and neighboring areas in Parana, southern Sao Paulo, and southern Mato Grosso do Sul will then trend mostly dry through the middle of next. Only brief periods of rain are expected and much of the precipitation will be too light to counter evaporation. Maturation and harvest conditions will gradually improve, although a few days of drying may be needed before farmers are able to get back into the fields.
Showers and thunderstorms will evolve on a frequent basis from northern and eastern Sao Paulo and much of Minas Gerais through northern Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Goias, western Bahia, and northwestern Minas Gerais during the next seven days. Rain amounts will be high enough to keep soil moisture at current levels or bolster soil moisture. Flooding will continue to be possible in these locations as well. Although there will be opportunities to get into the fields between rain events, maturation and harvesting will continue to be slowed or delayed on a frequent basis. Minor quality reductions will be possible as well.
Northeastern Minas Gerais through central and eastern Bahia will again trend mostly dry through next Wednesday. Net drying will continue to deplete the soil of moisture. Development conditions will be poor in much of the region.
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