The substantial rise in rainfall in Brazil since the beginning of this year has led to a significant decline in fruit production in the Sao Francisco Valley region, a crucial base for fruit production and export in the country.
Normally, this region accounts for 39 percent of Brazil's mango production and 20 percent of its grape yield annually. However, this year's frequent rainfall has posed challenges for many fruit farms. Over the past five months, excessive rain has not only reduced fruit yields but also impacted fruit quality due to pest issues.
"This year, there's been a lot more rain than previous years, more than twice the average. Many mango farms have significantly reduced their yields, with production decreasing by up to 60 percent," said Fernando, manager of a mango orchard in the valley region.
"The excessive rainfall has led to an increase in pest infestations. Our grape farm has cut production by about 40 percent," said Antonio, a local agricultural technician.
Since the end of April, Brazil and some countries in Latin America have faced continuous heavy rains, severely impacting crop production and even triggering disasterous flooding in some areas.
Heavy rains in Brazil slash fruit production
France's gross domestic product (GDP) stalled in the first quarter of 2026, recording zero growth from the previous quarter, according to preliminary data released on Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE).
The stagnation came as final domestic demand excluding inventories remained sluggish. Household consumption edged down 0.1 percent in the first three months of the year, a reversal from the 0.4 percent growth seen in the fourth quarter of 2025. Meanwhile, gross fixed capital formation also fell back by 0.4 percent.
Foreign trade exerted a strong negative contribution to GDP growth in the first quarter, subtracting 0.7 percentage point after adding 0.6 point in the previous quarter. This downturn was driven by a sharp 3.8 percent drop in exports, while imports also continued to decline, falling 1.7 percent.
In contrast, changes in inventories provided a strong positive contribution of 0.8 percentage point, rebounding from a negative 0.7 percentage point in the fourth quarter of 2025. The INSEE said the inventory build was driven mainly by aerospace products.
Total production of goods and services remained sluggish in the first quarter, rising by 0.1 percent after a 0.2 percent increase in the fourth quarter of 2025.
France's GDP stalls in Q1 2026 as foreign trade drags
