Fire at Brazil’s Minas Gerais National Park affects new-season coffee

Source:Best Coffee > News Author:qjroot Published:2024-08-22 19:06:32

According to media reports, in the center of Minas Gerais state, Brazil, the fire at Serra do Cipó National Park near the state capital Belo Horizonte has entered its fourth day, and the flames are still spreading.

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According to reports, Serra do Cipó Park is a national park in Brazil, established in 1984, covering an area of 33,800 hectares, and the park is known for protecting many endangered Brazilian animal and plant species.

According to data from the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), 478 hectares of land have been burned by the fire so far. At present, 16 firefighters, volunteers and 5 fire trucks are working to extinguish the flames, but because some areas are difficult to access, helicopters and aircraft are needed for support. Firefighters are conducting aerial surveys of the area, and there are more fire spots scattered throughout the park, and strategies and action plans to respond to the fire will be formulated.

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According to firefighters, since August 18, the fire has been spreading continuously and has destroyed the vegetation in Serra do Cipó Park. It is currently inferred that the fire was caused by humans, and the source of the fire may have come from a nearby highway. Due to the recent dry weather in the state, the fire spread rapidly. According to reports, on the 19th, Brazil's National Meteorological Institute issued an orange danger alert for low humidity for São Paulo state, Minas Gerais state, Bahia state and other places.

In addition, according to the current situation, the fire has not only affected Serra do Cipó Park, but has also spread to multiple areas including the nearby Vale do Espinhaço and Morro da Pedreira nature reserves. For this reason, the park began closing to the public on August 19, and there is currently no scheduled time for reopening.

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It is understood that the area where the fire occurred this time is the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil, and this state is a major coffee-producing region in Brazil, accounting for 30% of Brazil's total coffee production. The fire occurred mainly in Serra do Cipo National Park, and because the surrounding natural resources are abundant, there are also many coffee estates around this area that may be affected.

The spread of the fire may directly burn coffee trees, causing them to die or be damaged, thereby affecting coffee quality and yield. The soil may also be damaged by the fire, leading to reduced soil fertility, which is not conducive to growth. In addition, it will also affect the ecological environment of the coffee-growing area, further affecting the growing environment of coffee trees.

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However, according to data from Brazilian consultancy Safras, as of August 13, Brazil had harvested as much as 96% of the new season's coffee production, among which the Robusta coffee harvest has been completed, while the Arabica coffee harvest progress reached 94%.

Therefore, this fire may have little impact on the current new season, but it will affect the coffee production of the upcoming 2024/25 new season. Due to the fire, the climate and environmental quality of that area are poor, and combined with the currently low humidity, this is not conducive to the growth of coffee trees. Moreover, the upcoming La Nina weather may further affect Brazil's climate, and it is expected that next year's new season production will decline to some extent.

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