Aug 25, 2010
Everyone in Central Brazil Waiting for the "Mango Rain"
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
In many areas in central Brazil it's been more than four months without any measurable rainfall. Normally, central Brazil receives several episodes of light drizzle during the period of May to August, but this year, the light drizzle did not even occur and as a result, everything is extremely dry. Recent temperatures in southern Mato Grosso have been in the range of 100 degrees and the relatively humidity has been extremely low. In parts of southern Mato Grosso, river levels are lower this year than any time since 1970 and there is no rain in the near-term forecast.
What everybody is waiting for is the first rain of the season called the Chuva da Manga or the Mango Rain. The first rain usually occurs sometime during late August or early September, but with the current dry forecast, it is not likely to occur this year before the end of the month, which is only a week away. This first rain can be very heavy and it is usually accompanied by strong gusty winds. It's called the "Mango Rain" because the mango trees bloom during the dry season and this first rain is needed to insure that the mangos develop properly.
As far as agriculture is concerned, this first rains can be an indication as to when planting of the summer crops will begin. If the rains come early like they did last year, the crops will be planted early and the earlier the summer crops are planted, the higher the probability of good yields. If the rains come late like they did in 2008, the planting can be delayed enough to lower the eventual yield prospects for the summer crops. Since corn is the first crop planted in Brazil, a delayed onset of the rains can also result in a shift out of full season corn acreage into additional soybean acreage.