Drought worries spread beyond Britain's borders 2011

Drought worries spread beyond Britain's borders

David Richardson

Thursday 05 May 2011 10:50

Apologies for returning to the subject I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, but drought is the story of the year. And it's not just here in eastern England, although we've probably got worse problems than most.
It spreads across the country, only easing close to the Scottish borders. But it doesn't stop at England. Most of Europe is suffering, the only notable exceptions being Spain and Italy, which is a bit of a paradox, and there seems little prospect in the forecast of the substantial UK precipitation we so desperately need. The few drops late last week, some of which dampened the Royal Wedding, were not enough.
More serious from a world perspective is a widespread drought across most of the wheat growing areas of North America. Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas have all had hot dry conditions and the USDA recently estimated between 42% and 69% of winter wheat crops in those states were poor or very poor. Assessing the entire US acreage of wheat, the agriculture department rated 36% as being in poor condition. And there, as here, it's too late for those crops to recover when rain comes.
Add to that the problems Canada and north central America still have with lying snow preventing spring sowing; inadequate rainfall in the northern half of China (a perennial problem there); and the on-going effects of last year's drought across Russia and several FSU states and there are the makings of a major supply crisis of staple foods.
We can't assume it's definitely going to happen when American maize and soya beans have not been planted (it isn't time yet) and after some parts of Eastern Australia had their best harvest for years (other parts, further north were flooded). South America, however, seems unlikely to fill the gap as Argentina threatens more export taxes and Brazil grows little wheat.
In any event, futures markets around the world went crazy with prices hitting records of over £220/t (briefly) before falling back £10 in one trading session. And if speculators smell more volatility they can be expected to continue distorting prices. The difficulty for those of us who grow the stuff is to judge when to enter the forward market and how much to sell. Overdo it, only to find crops fail, and we could find ourselves having to pay margin calls and/or buy someone else's production at goodness knows what price to complete a contract.
The other major dilemma is whether to invest in irrigation. On relatively heavy land farms, like we have, where we don't grow potatoes or vegetables, we've previously regarded it as a luxury we could do without. But if this year (and last) are examples of the weather we can expect in future it may be we should reconsider - always assuming we'd get the necessary permission when domestic and industrial water supplies are becoming a big issue.
In terms of national policy I am reminded of the days, after the Second World War when memories of food rationing were still fresh, of the "strategic reserves" governments tried to build up against a period the like of which we may be about to experience. Later, when we joined the Common Market they were called "intervention stocks" and got a bad name for being too big and expensive to maintain. But might it be time to re-visit those policies and make plans, next time we have a bumper harvest, to put some of it by for a rainy or droughty day?

David Richardson farms about 400ha (1000 acres) of arable land near Norwich in Norfolk in partnership with his wife, Lorna. His son, Rob, is farm manager.
http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2011/05/05/126634/Drought-worries-spread-beyond-Britain39s-borders.htm

Southern Brazil suffers from drought

Brazil: Flooding and drought causing losses

Drought inflicts losses of more than R$140 million (US$83 million).

By Cristine Pires, Marcos Giesteira and Ricardo Corrêa—17/01/2011

 
PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil – As Southeastern Brazil suffers from disastrous flooding, it’s the lack of rain that’s causing damage throughout the south.
Since August of last year, precipitation levels have remained below the lowest historical averages documented in the past 40 years.
The soil is cracked.
Emaciated cattle walk the countryside with nothing to eat, since grass is sparse.
Some animals die of starvation.
The artesian wells that once supplied residences are now dry. Water comes only when water trucks make their rounds, attempting to bring relief.
Scenes such as these, once restricted to Brazil’s rugged northeast, are now a routine part of life in Rio Grande do Sul, which has suffered severe drought for years.

Minas Gerais Gov. Antônio Anastasia (left) visits local business hit by the floods in the city of Carvalho, in the state of Minas Gerais, on Jan. 15. (Courtesy of Wellington Pedro/Imprensa MG)

But this summer the drought, which has been attributed to the meteorological phenomenon La Niña, has been stronger than ever. The cooling of the Pacific Ocean significantly has reduced the amount of rain in southern Brazil during the summer months of December to March.
The Campanha Region is the hardest hit, with damages already totaling R$140 million (US$87 million).
Eight municipalities have declared a state of emergency: Candiota, Herval, Pedras Altas, Hulha Negra, Santana do Livramento, Pedro Osório, Lavras do Sul and Cerrito. Others – Bagé, Piratini, Pinheiro Machado and Aceguá – are awaiting approval from civil defense authorities to do so.
In Candiota, one of the cities hardest hit by the lack of water, 600 families living in rural areas depend directly on the supply from two water trucks working nonstop to keep up with demand.
Dairy farming – the city’s economic backbone – has been particularly affected because the priority has been providing water for residents, not cattle.
“We are stepping up distribution because the water is running dry in the wells,” says Candiota Mayor Luiz Carlos Folador.
Some cattle farmers are taking their herds out of the city in search of areas that haven’t been devastated by the drought.
“This week we had a breeder take eight truckloads of cattle off to other cities in search of green pasture,” Folador says.

Cidade de Goiás, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the state of Goiás, is having its historical areas threatened by the damage caused by heavy rains. (Courtesy of Corpo de Bombeiros/Goiás)

Prevention is key
The drought-afflicted municipalities are asking their state governments for comprehensive preventive policies so they won’t have to worry about the water supply again. They are also seeking funding for the construction of new dams and wells and for the renovation of existing ones.
They’re also asking for tanks to store rainwater.
Palliative measures, like distributing food and drinking water, already have been taken.
The Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul sent 300 care packages and 50 water filters to families in rural Candiota. More than seven tons of food were sent to Herval.
In coming days, more cities should receive aid, officials said.
In the city of Bagé, water is being rationed in 12-hour periods.
“It’s a critical situation,” says electricity supplier Carlos Eber Dias Pereira, 46. “We have families who stay up until dawn to take advantage of the 12 hours in which they have water and can shower, wash dishes and do all their household chores.”
Losses in the Campanha Region are estimated at more than 50% of the state’s corn, soybean and sorghum crops, according to the Association for Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Businesses of Rio Grande do Sul (Emater).
Pereira also has been following the agony of his relatives in rural areas.
“They’ve lost everything: their entire crop of corn, and everything else that has dried up,” he says. “Their cattle are dying. The situation is horrible.”
http://www.infosurhoy.com/cocoon/saii/xhtml/en_GB/features/saii/features/main/2011/01/17/feature-02