The strong storms and hail that hit several Brazilian states last week have impacted the country's potato production. The rains affected the plantations in the south of the state of Minas Gerais; however, no major losses are expected, as the plants were at the end of their cycle. Producers south of Parana have registered specific damages, in Palmas. The region of Bom Jesus, in the northeast of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, was severely affected as approximately 30% of the potato fields had already been planted. The rains also damaged some areas in Vacaria and São Jose dos Ausentes. Crop yields in this region, which were already low due to drought, are expected to decline further as the rains and hail arrived when many of the crops were in a critical period of development. The heavy rains also affected other crops, such as onions, in the São Francisco Valley (Pernambuco and Bahia states) and, mainly, in Irecê (Bahia state). Source - https://www.freshplaza.com