A task force of representatives from the government and the private sector has been set up to deal with the "Asian rust" plague (ferrugem asiática) which is attacking soybeans crops in Goiás, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Mato Grosso, Paraná, São Paulo, Roraima, Mato Grosso do Sul, Maranhão,Tocantins, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. The problem is worse in the latter two, southernmost, states because the disease thrives in cooler, humid weather (temperatures between 17 and 20 Celsius). It can be windborne for thousands of kilometers.

It is estimated that in 2003, Brazil lost 3.4 million tons of soybeans worth US$750 million because of the Asian rust plague. So far the country has spent some US$1.3 billion to combat the disease.

The Asian rust plague first appeared in Brazil in May 2001 in Paraná. (AB)