No Injuries Reported in Brazil Cotton Warehouse Fire

A fire broke out Tuesday at Fazenda Panorama, a property owned by SLC Agricola and one of Brazil’s largest farms, but owners report that damage was limited to a cotton warehouse and that there was no loss of crops or personnel injured in the blaze.

Only some bales of cotton were damaged and the fire is still being investigated, according to the owners of the farm, which is the first ever in its sector to be traded publicly. Located in the Brazilian State of Bahia, it is one of 23 farms owned by SLC Agricola which was founded in 1977 and which has a total of 670,000 hectares planted.

More from Sourcing Journal

• Holiday Havoc: Steering Santa's Sleigh Through Supply Chain Storms

• University of Wisconsin-Madison Says Cotton Grows Better in Space

• India's Business Leaders Come Together at Texcon '23

SLC Agricola’s principal crops are cotton (176,985 hectares), corn (121,633 hectares) and soybeans of which it is Brazil’s largest producer (334,891 hectares). The damaged cotton warehouse will be restored and be fully operational again by July, a statement said. The ginning facility, which was not damaged, will undergo preventive maintenance. According to a statement, the farms have a fire station on site with a team of firefighters and the requisite equipment standing by in case of an emergency.

The company reported that only 5,000 bales of cotton or 5 percent of the farm’s total cotton production was lost to the fire. The facility was properly insured, owners said. About 21,000 bales or 19 percent of the farm’s cotton crop still needs to processed. It will be sent to Paysandú farm elsewhere in Bahia.