Pluviometria e indicadores da bovinocultura leiteira no Município de Assú-RN entre 2011 e 2020
Resumo
Agricultural production is highly dependent on the climatic characteristics of a region, with
rainfall being one of the factors that most strongly influences its performance. Considering
that the semiarid region is characterized by high rainfall variability, this study aimed to
evaluate the rainfall patterns and their possible effects on dairy cattle farming in the
municipality of Assú, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil, between 2011 and 2020. Daily
rainfall data were obtained from a meteorological station located at latitude 5°32'37.6" S,
longitude 36°52'20.8" W, and an altitude of 16 m. Data related to dairy farming activity were
obtained from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), including the
number of milked cows and annual milk production for each year of the study period. The
average annual rainfall recorded in Assú during the studied decade was 585.88 mm, with a
standard error of the mean of ±67.2 mm, being classified as normal rainfall for the analyzed
time series. Regarding rainfall distribution throughout the year, the rainy season was
concentrated in the first semester, accounting for more than 88% of the annual precipitation.
Between 2012 and 2016, a high frequency of dry years was observed, particularly from 2014
to 2016, when three consecutive years were classified as dry. This scenario may have
contributed to the reduction in the number of milked cows observed from 2014 onwards,
resulting in a decrease of 17.88% in 2020 compared to 2011. A reduction of 20.60% in annual
milk production was also observed in 2020 when compared to the volume produced in 2011.
The results indicate that prolonged periods of low rainfall may be associated with reductions
in dairy farming indicators in the municipality of Assú, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.