Frosts seen hurting Brazil corn; smaller risk for sugar cane, coffee

but the risk is smaller for problems in areas of sugar cane and coffee, analysts and weather centers said on Monday.

There is forecast of frosts happening from Tuesday to Thursday in most regions in the state of Parana -- Brazil's 2nd largest grain producer -- in parts of Mato Grosso do Sul and in the southern part of Sao Paulo state, the country's number 1 sugar cane grower.

Parana's weather agency Simepar says basically all areas in the state will see frosts in the next days. Meteorologists Rural Clima said neighboring Paraguay will also see frosts that could impact its corn.

"The situation is complicated for the 2nd corn crop in the west and south of Parana, in the Mato Grosso do Sul state and in Paraguay," said Rural Clima's meteorologist Marco Antonio dos Santos.

"Frosts could also hit some sugar cane and coffee areas in the northern part of Parana and in the southern part of Sao Paulo," he added. Those areas, however, account for a very small part of Brazil's coffee and sugar production.

Rural Clima and also Somar Meteorologia see a low risk of frosts hitting the main coffee areas in Minas Gerais, as well as the largest sugar cane fields in the northern part of Sao Paulo.

For corn, the damage could be certain since many fields were planted later than usual, a result of delays on the soybean crop, and are still in the stage when cold weather could be harmful.

The Brazilian second corn crop, or winter corn, has already lost potential yield due to a long dry spell this year, so the frosts would further reduce the production.