Rain Threatens Argentina, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul Rice
By Andrew Owen and Drew Lerner
Kansas City, March 8 (World Weather Inc.) – Rice is filling, maturing and beginning to be harvested from eastern Argentina to southern Brazil. Field progress has already been slow because of rain, but the situation will get much worse in the next five 
days as too much rain falls and flooding develops. Early maturing crops will be damaged by the rain with a general quality decline and some production cut expected in the more seriously impacted areas of Rio Grande do Sul.
The ground is already saturated in southern Paraguay and in portions of Rio Grande do Sul due to recent rainfall. Precipitation totals during the past seven-day period ending this morning ranged from 1.38 to 3.90 inches with local totals in southern Paraguay and western Rio Grande do Sul up to 8.00 inches. Entre Rios and Uruguay were drier with a trace to 1.02 inches common and local totals to 2.52 inches along the Uruguay and Entre Rios border. Soil moisture is adequate in both areas.
Rice harvest progress is not very far along in Rio Grande do Sul as of March 2, when 4.5% of the crop was already in the bin. No statistics were available for harvesting in Argentina or Uruguay, but both countries should be moving into their harvest season now. Drier and warmer weather is needed to induce the best harvest conditions, but that is not expected before early next week due to some torrential rainfall starting tonight and lasting into Monday.
A region of significant rain and thunderstorms will advance northeasterly across South America’s main rice production areas Wednesday evening through Friday morning. Another wave of heavy rain is expected during the weekend after a brief break from the wettest conditions Friday 
afternoon into Saturday morning. The greatest amount of rain will occur in Rio Grande do Sul, northern Uruguay, and northern fringes of Entre Rios where 2.00 to 7.00 inches and local amounts approaching 10.00 inches are expected by Monday. Southern Paraguay and the remaining portions of Entre Rios and Uruguay will receive 0.75 to 2.50 inches of rain with locally greater amounts possible. Dry weather will then evolve in most areas during early to mid-week next week.
Flooding will evolve quickly with much of the region already saturated. The “drier” areas in the region will not take long to saturate with moisture and flooding will become widespread Sunday into Monday. No fieldwork is expected after Thursday morning for well over a week and there is considerable worry that some of the maturing crop will be knocked to the ground where it will not be harvestable. A general decline in rice quality is also possible – at least for the rice that is near full maturation. An extended period of dryness will be needed later this month and next to significantly improve rice harvest conditions.
World Weather, Inc. forecasts and comments pertaining to present, past and future weather conditions included in this report constitute the corporation’s judgment as of the date of this report and are subject to change without notice. Comments regarding damage or the impact of weather on agricultural and energy as well as comments made regarding the impact of weather on the commodity and financial markets are the explicit opinions of World Weather, Inc. World Weather, Inc. can not be held responsible for decisions made by users of the Corporation’s information in any business, trade or investment decision.
©2017 World Weather, Inc. Any unauthorized redistribution, duplication or disclosure is prohibited by law and will result in prosecution.