In just a few minutes, the hailstorm devastated the crops that would have paid December and January bills, destroyed prime bell peppers, left a family in debt without a guaranteed income, and exposed the fragility of open-field agriculture in Brazil today, without insurance, greenhouses, or any financial reserves.
The scene repeats itself in different regions of Brazil, but the pain is always particular. On Erika's farm in Ibaiti, Paraná, where bell pepper farming was the main source of income, a hailstorm was enough to turn months of work into total loss. What was supposed to be a breather to pay off accumulated bills has turned into a void on the field and in the spreadsheet.
Before the rain, there was planning. accounts settled and hope. The same crop that now appears shredded into leaves and rotten fruit was, just days before, a source of joy in videos and conversations. The producers believed that they had finally gotten the planting, timing, and price right, to the point of seeing that as three months' salary.
The hail didn't just hit plants. It fell directly onto the family's cash box. The bell pepper crop had been planned to yield a harvest in November, December, and January, precisely the period when bills weigh most heavily.
Read more at CPG
