The Western Bahia Region

The Western Bahia cerrado region (see map to right) opened in the late 1970s and early-to-mid 1980s as a government project. The project provided cheap credit and other assistance to the 600 farmers who moved to the region. Most of these farmers were of German, Northern Italian and Japanese descent from the southern states of Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná.

With a population of about 500 thousand, the region encompasses an area of 10,500 square kilometers. In the 2005-2006 crop year, about 1.5 million ha were cultivated. Estimates of the agricultural land area still to be opened range from 1 to 2 million ha. Some of the unopened land is in pasture, but most of the unopened land remains virgin cerrado.

As the table below shows, the dominant dryland crop in terms of area is soybeans, followed by cotton, corn, and grass seed. Grain sorghum area has been increasing since a large new poultry ration plant was built near LEM. It is planted as a second crop following soybeans or corn. It is typically not fertilized and often lacks moisture so yields are low. Area devoted to cotton continues to increase. In 2006/2007, it contributed 54 percent of the total value of agricultural production in Western Bahia.

CROP YEAR 2006/07 Western Bahia Crop Area Production Productivity Productivity Value (ha) (ton) (kg/ha) (Unit) R$Millions Soybeans 850,000 2,295,000 2,700 45 Sc 994.50 Cotton 276,824 1,087,918 3,930 262 @ 1,755.17 Corn 166,000 1,205,160 7,260 121 Sc 341.46 Coffee (in production) 11,021 28,434 2,580 43 Sc 116.11 Coffee (new plantings) 3,178 -------- -------- -------- -------- Grass Seed 25,000 11,250 450 450 Kg 33.75 Grain Sorghum 15,000 40,500 2,700 45 Sc 10.13 Rice 15,000 27,000 1,800 30 Sc 12.60 Edible Beans 7,000 10,080 1,440 24 Sc 9.24 Other 256,817 --------- -------- -------- --------

Dryland Agriculture

Dryland farming is the dominant agriculture of Western Bahia. Of the 1.5 million hectares of seasonal and perennial crops grown in 2005-2006, over 95 percent were grown as dryland crops.

The region's most productive dryland agriculture lies along a roughly 100 kilometer wide band parallel to the state's western border. This is the area with the highest rainfall. A high proportion of the land close to the western border had been opened several years ago.

The highest average annual rainfall is about 1,800 mm at the state's border with Tocatins and Goias. Moving east, rainfall tapers off to about 1,100 mm near Barreiras.

Average altitude for the region is 700 meters. Altitude reaches 900+ meters near the region's western border and drops to 650 meters near Barreiras. Barreiras is situated in the Rio Grande valley at an altitude of 450 meters.

Average minimum and maximum temperatures vary with altitude. The regional average temperature is 22.5C. At 900 meters the average low and high temperatures are 17C and 32C (see Brazil climate and weather).

The soils throughout the region are sandy to moderately sandy. Aluminum saturation is .05 to .06, and soils typically require correction levels of about 4 to 6 tons of limestone per ha. The soils are well drained, and with the exception of the river valleys, the land is generally as flat as a table top (see soils).

Irrigated Agriculture

Irrigated agriculture is rapidly expanding in Western Bahia. There are many farms producing coffee, and several farms growing bananas, citrus, papaya and other fruit crops under irrigation. Cotton, coffee and corn are the most important irrigated crops.

Irrigation water is pumped from wells and from rivers and streams that run year-around. River and well water pumping is regulated by public authorities. Pumping licenses are available on some rivers in the region, but few licenses are being issued for river pumping in the more developed areas and near population centers.

Underground water is abundant. The region's deep sandy soils act as a massive sponge and there is virtually no rainwater runoff even in the highest rainfall areas. The underground water in the several hundred meter deep soil profile is recharged each year with an average regional rainfall of more than 1,400 mm. In this respect, Western Bahia is unique in Brazil and in the world for having essentially inexhaustible underground water resources.

The underground water flows from west to east toward the Rio São Francisco. In other words, underground water moves from the higher rainfall areas to the lower rainfall areas. Seepage deep into the earth is blocked by an impermeable limestone formation several hundred meters below the surface. For this reason, there is abundant underground water in the region's dryer areas. In fact, the minimum well and pump depths needed to access the abundant irrigation water decrease from east to west.

Until recently, the unique nature of Western Bahia's underground water resources was reflected in unclear and poorly defined public regulation on well drilling. In early 2004, in a step to regulate well pumping, the distance between wells was increased from 2 kilometers to 5 kilometers. Recently, the distance was reduced to 2.5 kilometers. Wells are typically 250 to 300 meters deep with the pump set 40 to 60 meters below the surface. Brazilian manufactured pumps typically lift 450 cubic meters per hour. Imported pumps lift 600 or more cubic meters per hour.

The excellent water resources coupled with large areas of inexpensive virgin land make irrigated agriculture in Western Bahia an attractive endeavor. The most expensive and most rapidly appreciating land is in the highest rainfall areas. In the dryer areas, huge tracts of land can be purchased for 25  to 40 sacks of soybeans/ha. With irrigation this land can become highly productive, producing two to three grain crops per year or growing high yielding, high value crops such coffee, cotton and fruits.