Oct 21, 2024
Fishermen Blame Rice Producers for Low Water in Paraguay River
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
Record low water levels on the Paraguay River have fishermen pointing to irrigated rice producers as part of the problem. They contend that rice producers are drawing too much water from the Paraguay River resulting in the low water levels.
The Paraguay River flows 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) from the center-west region of Brazil through Paraguay before it flows into the larger Parana River which then flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Buenos Aires, Argentina. The water level in the river recently hit the lowest level since they started monitoring the river in 1900.
The director of water conservation for the Paraguayan Environmental Ministry, David Faria, discounted the idea that the water level is low due to rice irrigation. He contends that it is low due to severe drought upriver in the center-west region of Brazil and that many rivers are reporting record low levels even though the rivers are not being used for irrigation.
Irrigated rice production in Paraguay is centered on the Ñeembucú Department in southern Paraguay south of Asuncion near where the Paraguay River joins with the Parana River. Paraguay produces 175,000 hectares irrigated rice (432,000 acres) in Ñeembucú and five other departments which produce 1.5 million tons of rice and export 900,000 tons.
The Paraguay River basin has experience below normal rainfall for the last five years. The National Director of Meteorology in Paraguay attributes the problem to climate change and he thinks the river will remain low until at least the end of the year.