Drought in Rio Grande do Sul is drying up rivers that irrigate rice crops

The drought that affects producers in Rio Grande do Sul is also affecting irrigation in rice areas. In regions like Central, rivers that supply crops are already at low levels or have even dried up. The situation is also similar in places on the Western Border and Campanha. The information is from the Federation of Rice Growers Associations of Rio Grande do Sul (Federarroz).

According to the entity's president, Alexandre Velho, on several properties producers are even having to choose which plots of land to irrigate over others. “In these regions there are areas that even parts of areas are being abandoned to give preference to irrigation in other areas. Producers are having to choose to serve part of the crop. This is worrying and already signals that we will possibly not have very high productivity and this should also influence the total production in Rio Grande do Sul”, he highlights.

Velho reinforces that Federarroz is recommending rural producers who are being affected by the drought to send an alert to their city halls communicating these difficulties so that they can forward emergency decrees so that they can trigger requests related to insurance and financing if necessary.