Rains fell on Paraguay's drought-stricken soya fields but farmers said they were not enough to revive plants and experts forecast that dryness will still severely affect output. Paraguay is the world's No 4 soyabean exporter, although it lags far behind No 3 supplier Argentina. The oilseed is Paraguay's top export earner and sinking yields could complicate bank loans to growers and hurt the economy.
Parched conditions stemming from La Nina have also struck Argentina and Brazil, although recent rains have brought relief. Paraguay's meteorological service said the showers on Friday topped expectations and helped the country's top farm regions. In the Itapua district, showers were as much as 90 millimeters, while in Alto Parana they came in at 70 millimeters, way above the 30 millimeters forecast by agriculture ministry officials as needed to bring minimum relief to the drought-hit crop.
But the country's grain exporters chamber, Capeco, said the crop is still in a serious bind. "Rains will cool temperatures but they're not enough to replenish ground moisture so they won't improve the crop, which is completely destroyed in some areas," said Luis Cubilla, a Capeco advisor.