Brazil Coffee Brazil's Coffee Regions Face Drought Brazilian Coffee Bean Production to Decrease

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Brazil Faces Severe Drought, Threatening Global Coffee and Orange Production

Brazil is currently the world's largest exporter of coffee, sugar, and orange juice, yet it has recently been experiencing severe drought conditions across vast expanses of its territory.

Brazil's main agricultural export strength is concentrated in the country's central-southern regions, but these areas have recently experienced cracked soil and low river water levels. This drought situation is so severe that farmers are worried about the coming months of the dry season, concerned that there will not be enough reserved water to irrigate their crops.

Mauricio Pinheiro, 59, who owns a 53-hectare (131-acre) plantation, began artificial irrigation of his Arabica coffee crops two months earlier than usual (in March) when precipitation was less than half of previous years. This meant there wasn't enough water for his household. To ensure sufficient water for irrigating the crops in his plantation, he had to search for another well.

"The irrigation reservoirs usually dry up in August, but they're already dry now. I'm really worried that there will be no water available in the coming months," said Pinheiro, who lives in Pedregulho in the Alta Mogiana region of São Paulo state.

As agricultural product prices rise to multi-year highs, fears of famine continue to intensify. Rising food prices and the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated hunger problems. Recently, coffee and raw sugar futures on the New York ICE Futures Exchange have hit over four-year highs.

If there isn't enough water to irrigate crops, Brazil's orange and coffee production for the second year may show a declining trend. Brazil's current orange production has decreased by 31% compared to the previous quarter, the largest decline in 33 years. Arabica coffee production, which supplies some international coffee chains, has also dropped sharply.

Climate Patterns and Agricultural Impact

From January to April, rainfall in São Paulo and Minas Gerais states has been exceptionally low, with precipitation in the most severely affected areas being less than half of normal levels. This is currently a critical period for coffee crop irrigation and also a time when soil stores water to combat drought. Paul Markert, a meteorologist at a technology company in Maryland, said that some regions experienced more severe drought conditions than normal last year, particularly in São Paulo and Paraná.

Although this time of year is typically dry in Brazil, the current drought is expected to last longer than usual, increasing concerns. Meteorologist Celso Oliveira said that rainfall will typically return between October and November, rather than September.

Approximately 30% of Brazil's orange crops and 15% of Arabica coffee crops rely on irrigation systems.

Francisco Sergio de Assis, a coffee grower in Montecarmelo, located in the Cerrado region of Minas Gerais state, began irrigating his farmland a month early. He believes that if it doesn't rain by September, his reservoirs will run out of water.

The situation is becoming increasingly severe for orange plantations. A grower with a 45-hectare orange plantation in São Paulo state said he has had to rely on irrigation systems most of the time since January.

The water level in reservoirs continues to decline and is expected to hit bottom before the dry season arrives. This situation affects most areas of São Paulo state and threatens the next quarter's crop harvest.

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