By Roberto Samora
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Frosts hit agricultural regions of Brazilian states like Paraná and Mato Grosso do Sul on Tuesday, signaling further potential losses for corn crops.
In a note to clients, weather consultancy Rural Clima said cold weather will continue on Wednesday.
In Paraguay, which exports corn to Brazil, frosts were “harsh”, said meterorologist Marco Antonio dos Santos. However, rains in some regions reduced the impact of the cold on the crops, especially in northern Paraná and in some areas of Mato Grosso, he added. The worse impact was in Paraguay.
Frosts were strong there and expected losses are big, Santos added referring to Brazil’s second-largest corn producer after Mato Grosso. The metereologist said the polar front is getting stronger on Wednesday and new frosts could happen in the area.
According to Parana’s weather monitoring body Simepar, new frosts are expected for a large area in the region.
The second corn crop in the state of Parana, which is planted after soybeans are harvested, is estimated at 9.8 million tonnes by a regional forecaster, some 5 million tonnes smaller than initially forecast.
Aside from the cold, Parana’s corn was also spoiled by a severe drought earlier in the season.
(Reporting by Roberto Samora; Writing by Tatiana Bautzer, editing by Louise Heavens)
