SAO PAULO - Most of Brazil's center-south region should receive relatively large volumes of precipitation in the next 10 days, making it difficult for mills to crush the remaining cane in the fields but favoring coffee tree development and soy plantings.
Local forecaster Somar expects most of the center-south, including top cane growing state Sao Paulo, to receive around 100 millimeters (4 inches) of rain up to Nov. 1.
"It will certainly hamper harvesting but it will improve prospects for the next cane crop," said Tiago Robles, Somar's agro meteorologist.
Reuters Weather Dashboard shows cumulative precipitation of 96 millimeters up to Nov. 7 for the Piracicaba mesoregion, a key cane producing region in Sao Paulo.
Cane industry group Unica said on Friday mills still have some 100 million tons of cane to process this year if climate conditions allow.
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The cane crop this year has been affected by above normal rains, a possible consequence of the strong El Niño phenomenon.
COFFEE, SOY
The weather will be beneficial for coffee trees which have suffered recently from the lack of humidity.
Somar expects 40 millimeters of precipitation for the southern part of Minas Gerais, Brazil's main coffee area, and another 50 millimeters between Oct. 28 and Nov. 1 for the same area.
Thomson Reuters Weather Dashboard sees 118 millimeters of rain accumulating in the South Minas region by Nov. 7.
"Those rains will have the potential to induce a new flowering in Minas coffee areas," said Robles.
The robusta-producing state of Espirito Santo will also receive widespread rain after dryness in the state caused local authorities to ban daytime irrigation.
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Rains will also reach the center-west state of Mato Grosso, bringing isolated moisture tofarmers who are slightly behind historical levels for planting soy due to irregular moisture in the region this spring.
