The incessant rains in Rio Grande do Sul since the weekend have been causing damage to roads in Rio Grande do Sul, while rural producers count the losses in the field. In Eldorado do Sul, in the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre, a crater opened at kilometer 132 of BR-290, this Tuesday morning (4/30).
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“With the rain, the asphalt could not resist the force of the water from the stream that passes under the highway and ended up breaking”, explains João Ferreira, coordinator of the municipality’s Civil Defense. According to him, it will be necessary to wait for the rain to pass so that the National Department of Transport Infrastructure (Dnit) defines a schedule for the road recovery works.
Rain causes crater to open in Rio Grande do Sul
A Guarani indigenous community installed in the area, made up of 29 members, had to be removed and sheltered in a space provided by the city hall.
The highway is the main route to the state capital and the alternative access, which comprises sections towards Charqueadas, São Jerônimo and Arroio dos Ratos, should increase the journey by around two hours for road users.
Agricultural losses
The Civil Defense coordinator states that there is information about losses in agriculture due to the rains. He comments that the data is still being collected, but it is already possible to say that there will be losses for rice and soybean producers in the region.
Both crops are in the harvest phase. “Whoever planted the rice later was now preparing to harvest. We will have a huge loss in the region, as there are more than 100 hectares of grain in this situation”, he comments.
He emphasizes that it will be necessary to wait for a truce so that producers can return to harvesting. “As the rice is ready, you can pour it, as there are records of winds. In this case, the plantation will be lost”, he adds. The city hall is working on collecting preliminary data on losses.
Data verification
The Rio Grande do Sul Rural Development Secretariat (SDR-RS) informed the Rural Globe that the Emater/RS-Ascar Loss Survey System (Sisperdas) will be opened so that the State can account for possible losses and damages caused by the rains. According to the agency, for now there are still many difficulties in getting around for teams to access the affected regions.
Cristiano Leite, manager of Emater de Lajeado, says that “the Taquari River Valley region was practically washed away by water, with very heavy rain”. He says that most municipalities in Vale do Taquari have access interrupted, barriers fallen, bridges washed away and some houses buried, with deaths already confirmed.
“We are in permanent contact with all our colleagues, seeing what can be achieved, but above all safely. The situation is critical, once again”, he laments.
The president of the Agriculture Federation of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (Farsul), Gedeão Pereira, notes that what worries him most is the situation of soybean crops. “In some parts of the state we may have damage, but we have to wait and assess”, he emphasizes.
Edio Wilson Mota, executive secretary of the Jaguarão Rural Union, also cites the soybean harvest as one of the concerns at this time. “People are starting to worry, as the soybeans could start to rot, resulting in losses in production”, he emphasizes. The entity does not yet have figures on possible losses.
In the Vale do Rio Caí region, which is being affected by the ninth flood in ten months, the floods threaten citrus farming. Eduardo César Schroder, an organic producer who is part of the Association of Ecological Producers Companheiros da Natureza, states that orange trees are likely to be the most affected.
“We will certainly see a drop in production of more than 70% of oranges and more than 50% of citrus in general”, he warns.
He comments that the forecast is for prolonged rains and the well is already extremely full, flooding areas of low-lying orchards. “We are forecasting a flood as big as the one that occurred last spring, when we had a very significant impact,” regrets.
In addition to oranges, he foresees losses in bergamot, acid lime, Tahiti and Persian lime orchards. He comments that excessive rainfall is reaching the flowering phase and that producers are unable to carry out phytosanitary treatments or any other operation within the orchards.
Furthermore, Eduardo cites the losses in floodable areas, where there were records of losses to corn and vegetable crops, as well as damage to machinery and tools, mainly electrical ones, such as chainsaws, which ended up being underwater: “I couldn’t recover ”.
He emphasizes that the association brings together family producers and the climate has generated losses in several activities carried out in the region, such as fruit growing – mainly strawberries and grapes – vegetable farming, livestock farming and poultry farming.
The lack of funding lines for producers in the region, says Eduardo, is one of the biggest problems facing the situation: “many farmers will find it very difficult, due to the drop in income, to pay off their commitments”.
Climate
Estael Sias, meteorologist at MetSul, explains that there is an atmospheric blockage that should continue in the Center of the country until mid-May, generating heat, high temperatures and a deficit of rain from Paraná, passing through the Center-West and Southeast. “Rain and humidity are trapped in the South, especially in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina”, he says.
She highlights that the most critical period that the models have indicated should occur until this Friday and that, from Wednesday to Thursday, the rain will reach producing areas in the Missions, on the border with Santa Catarina and in the west, which have not yet received such heavy rain.
“For now, the most impacted areas were the central and eastern areas, including Vale Taquari, Rio Pardo, the central area of the State, on the outskirts of Santa Maria, Greater Porto Alegre and Serra. Until Friday, areas further north and northwest will also receive a lot of rain, which could impact crops”, he assesses.
Estael draws attention to the fact that, in these areas, farming work may become unfeasible and the roads impassable, with the risk of bridges collapsing and heavy rain.
For the extreme south of Rio Grande do Sul, the meteorologist points out less rain between the region of Jaguarão and Santa Vitória do Palmar. There will be rain, but not with great damage. “At least until the beginning of next week we will still be feeling the effects of this rain in terms of full rivers, flooded areas, areas still experiencing great travel difficulties,” she adds.
Next week, due to the blockade that will continue in the center of the country, there may still be instability. According to her, the rain should ease on Monday and Tuesday, but it will rain again throughout the week.
“It is not possible to say whether it will be with volumes as high as now, but any rain, given the scenario of vulnerability that has been created, ends up representing risk and concern”, he warns.
