Brazil is going through the major decrease in agricultural production in the last 20 years. The National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet) informs that this is happening because of the oscillating climatic conditions: since 2001, the South of the country suffers without rainfall.
According to the chief of the department of applied meteorology, Expedito Ribello, droughts usually happen when grains need more water to flourish.
“Rio Grande do Sul and Mato Grosso do Sul are the most affected states,” he says.
Expedito recalls that São Paulo was also affected by the drought, while in the central and northern regions of the country rainfalls were abundant.
Climate alterations are consequence of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation phenomenon, which are oscillations that happen every ten years in the Pacific ocean – they cause rainfall and droughts to occur at atypical times.
These periods can last from 15 to 24 years. The minister says that fields are seeded in September and October exactly because of the rain. And when it does not rain enough, grains do not flourish and dry up, even in spite of all available technology.
ABr