FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops & Shortages 04/01 - BRAZIL (22 March)
Rains began to fall in March after a dry start to the rainier season (February/May) in semi-arid north eastern Brazil. PROCLIMA’s current forecast is that total rainfall will not deviate from the historic average. More to the south, harvesting of coarse grains has started on schedule (March/April) in central and southern Brazil. The increase in planting area and the beneficial summer rains will produce a bumper crop. According to Brazil’s National Food Supply Agency (CONAB), maize output is expected to satisfy domestic demand for the first time since the early 1980s. A 10 percent fall in the area planted to second season maize (safrinha) is forecast following a reduction in prices (farmers are expected to replace it with sorghum). Harvesting of paddy crops was delayed in central Brazil, and the quality of the grains produced so far is poor. Production for year 2001 is forecast to decrease to about 11 million tonnes from last year’s 11.4 million tonnes due to a reduction in paddy prices.
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