Agência Brasil

Brasília - Last Friday (27), in the state of Sergipe, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Enterprise (Embrapa), linked to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply, presented a new variety of corn adapted to the climatic conditions of the Northeastern semi-arid region. Designated as the BRS Caatingueiro, the new corn has high productivity and was developed especially for this type of region.

The new seed's cycle is considered precocious: It requires only 90 days to reach maturity in dry periods. With regular rainfall the crop can be gathered 65-70 days after sowing. In what are considered normal climatic conditions for the region, cultivation of the BRS Caatingueiro can yield between 2 and 3 thousand kilos per hectare.

According to the Ministry's advisory office, Brazil's semi-arid region comprises 1,132 municipalities characterized by, separately or together, annual rainfall of less than 800 millimeters and a greater than 60% index of dryness and risk of drought. The area officially classified as the Brazilian semi-arid region corresponds to 969,589.4 square kilometers.

Translation: David Silberstein