Extreme drought conditions in Argentina are affecting the harvest season and leading farmers to rethink what they can expect in the future.
What's happening?
Significantly dry weather in the country since the beginning of the year is producing smaller and fewer overall crops than usual, according to a report in Reuters.
Dario Sabini, a farmer from Argentina, said that even though official estimates have already lowered the harvest forecast in response to the drought, it will likely turn out to be even worse.
"Their math does not add up," he said.
"It has to rain. Hopefully it will rain soon and we can improve [yields]," said Juan Gardey, a soybean farmer. "It's very complicated."
Why is it important?
Argentina produces and exports a huge amount of grains every year. With fewer viable crops, not only will the farmers directly lose income, but the economy of the country will suffer, and there will be less food to go around.
It's estimated that every week without rain during this harvest season could result in a loss of 5 million tons of each crop. Soy and corn are likely to end up with about 40 million tons each, a steep drop from last year's output of about 50 million each.
With the changing climate causing extreme weather such as drought and floods, this could be an early glimpse at troubling future harvest seasons. Scientists have recently warned that prolonged "megadroughts" are increasing worldwide.
What's being done about it?
The Argentinian government cut taxes on agricultural exports until summer to generate quicker sales and income for the country.
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Definitely 🙁 Unfortunately, farmers said the problem can't be solved that easily. The price changes are small, and the farmers are still low on stock and can't meet demand.
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Conserving and recycling water is important for areas experiencing drought, but that's not always possible for farmers. Turning to renewable energy sources, cutting pollution, and other sustainable choices need to be implemented at a large scale to combat the effects of the warming climate and avoid dangerous weather.
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