08/25/2024 – 19:45
The wave of fires in sugarcane fields in the State of São Paulo is expected to result in a financial impact of up to R$350 million for sugarcane producers due to the areas affected by fire between Friday and Saturday (23rd and 24th). This estimate was made by the CEO of the Organization of Sugarcane Producers Associations of Brazil (Orplana), José Guilherme Nogueira, in an interview with Estadão/Broadcast. According to him, 59 thousand hectares of areas planted with sugarcane were burned in the last two days.
Orplana’s calculation takes into account the loss of productivity in regions affected by fires. The entity estimates that productivity should fall from more than 100 kilos per hectare of sugarcane in these areas to approximately 40 kilos per hectare. It highlighted that the drop in productivity was already significant before the fires, with a 30% reduction in the 2024/25 season, which could now reach 60% due to the damage.
Orplana’s CEO also highlighted that the impact of the fires is amplified by the deterioration of the sugarcane after the fire. “Sugarcane that catches fire starts to deteriorate after four, five, seven days,” explained Nogueira. This process further compromises the harvesting capacity and the quality of the crushed sugarcane, worsening the financial losses of producers.
Nogueira reported that 305 new fires were recorded on Saturday, with around 3,600 fires on Friday, a number “10 times greater” than in the same period last year. The extremely low relative humidity and high temperatures contributed to the spread of the fires. The main fires between Thursday and Friday occurred in the regions of Olímpia and São José do Rio Preto. On Saturday, the CEO of Orplana highlighted, the new fires occurred mainly in the areas of Sertãozinho and Cajuru.
Orplana’s monitoring indicates that conditions have improved in the regions where the fires occurred, due to the rains in cities such as Piracicaba, Monte Aprazível, Ribeirão Preto and Cajuru since last Saturday. In addition, Orplana is collaborating with the state government in a crisis cabinet, mobilizing water trucks and resources to control the fires.
Nogueira emphasized the need for a structured action plan to address the fires. “We need cheaper financing lines to purchase water tanker trucks and an increase in the number of firefighters,” he said. He also highlighted the need for a more robust action plan, which, in his view, could be inspired by international models such as those of Portugal and California, to address the increasing frequency and intensity of fires.
For Orplana’s CEO, the current crisis is exacerbated by a combination of climate factors and human activities. “The heat wave, caused by climate change and the increase in global temperatures, has made droughts more intense and severe,” he said. He emphasized that “these events, which were previously rare, are now frequent and critical,” with extremely low relative humidity and very high temperatures.
Fires have also been fueled by reckless human practices. “Activities such as throwing cigarette butts on the side of the road or setting fires near dry areas are often responsible for fire outbreaks,” he explained. He emphasized that “the vast majority of fires are caused by human activities,” highlighting the importance of awareness and prevention measures.
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