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
A grassroots official from Gari Village in Ya'an City of southwest China's Sichuan Province has led locals to conquer immense difficulties to build a road at an altitude of 4,000 meters, turning the once-isolated community into a thriving tourist destination, paving the way towards a prosperous life.
This is a story from a China Global Television Network (CGTN) documentary titled "4,000m Altitude: They Built a Road Straight to the Sky".
Due to its extreme altitude, Gari Village lacked a proper road more than a decade ago, forcing residents to hike in and out on foot.
Refusing to let his village remain cut off from the world, Asheng, the local Party chief, made it his mission to change their fate. Mobilizing the villagers, he led them in overcoming immense geographical and logistical hurdles to finally carve a road through the high-altitude terrain.
The road opened the gates to Dawagengzha, a stunning natural attraction whose name translates to "magic mountain" in the Tibetan language. As word of this natural wonder spread, tourists began to arrive. However, a new challenge quickly emerged: the village lacked hotels and other tourism infrastructure, meaning visitors couldn't stay overnight.
Recognizing the bottleneck, Asheng took the initiative once again, converting his own house into the village's first homestay.
Seeing the success of Asheng's venture, hesitant villagers quickly followed suit.
Today, Gari Village is home to 158 distinctive homestays, forming a thriving hospitality cluster known as "Cloud Dawagengzha". Campsites, inns, and wooden cabins now dot the mountain landscape.
In 2024, the village welcomed over one million tourist arrivals, generating a revenue of 120 million yuan (about 17.94 million U.S. dollars). The momentum has only continued to grow. During the autumn foliage season in 2025, the village recorded an average weekly tourism revenue exceeding 1.5 million yuan.
Looking ahead, Asheng said he will continue to explore ways to improve the lives of his fellow villagers.
The documentary is part of CGTN's "Breaking Through" series, which traces China's journey from the historic Long March to its modern-day achievements, highlighting the resilience, ingenuity, and determination of its people.
Building road at 4,000m, grassroots official leads locals to prosperity: documentary
