December was a difficult month in some regions of Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina. Heavy rains have caused leaks in several dams, which caused floods in some areas.
Argentina
The waters in Argentina have stabilized, although there still are some leaks and floods in some areas. One example cited by the media is Pueblo Viejo, in the province of Chaco. The floods are caused by the high water height of the Iguazu and Parana rivers. The floods caused by these rivers have affected more coastal areas, such as Corrientes, Formosa, and Entre Rios.
According to a report of the Department of Agricultural Climatology and Phenology of the Faculty of Agronomy of the UBA (Fauba), the excessive rainfall during December exceeded by far the absorption capacity of the soils in most of northeastern Argentina.
The flooding of the Uruguay River and other streams in the northern part of Entre Rios caused damage mainly in small fields. Between 12,000 and 14,000 hectares in the banks of the Uruguay River, between Concordia and Mocoreta (Corrientes), have been affected by the floods.
So far the water has affected the citrus crops, but they haven't affected the cranberries crops, as they are still far away from the flooded area.
Brazil and Uruguay
Brazil and Uruguay started being affected by heavy rains since mid-December. At that time, many people at the border between Brazil and Uruguay had to leave their homes. In the end, however, the consequences were not as severe as expected. Moreover, after the rains, the affected regions in Brazil and Uruguay have suffered a drought.
The southern part of Brazil, the province of Rio Grande do Sul, mainly produces soy, wheat, rice, and corn. There is only a small production of potatoes, apples, grapes, oranges, and peaches. Several Brazilian producers stated that the fruits and vegetables didn't suffer too much damage.