Porto Alegre, 3/4/2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - A total of 33 municipalities in the state of Rio Grande do Sul have been placed ina state of emergency due to drought. According to the state Civil Defense, just this week eight municipalities joined the emergency list. Farm specialists say that crops have been hard hit and that the soybean loss is running at 30% and there may be a total loss of corn.

The lack of rain has also affected dairy production, which was down 24% in February. (AB)