A deflated bag of bones, the carcass of a bull, lies dried out on the banks of a river, baked by the sun. Normally green, the prime pastureland around lies silent and dry.
This is San Miguel del Monte, a little over 100km (60 miles) south of Buenos Aires, in the Argentine pampas, the vast grasslands that roll out like an inner sea across thousands of kilometres.
The Salado river, which supplies the local ranches, is now a small stream. Large carp leap desperately in the shallows, trying to find deeper water.
A long-running drought, the worst in 50 years, has exacted a heavy toll and even a brief break in the weather in some areas was unlikely to alleviate the situation.
Cattle ranching has a long history in Argentina and about half the country is used for agriculture.
The country's wealth was built on beef, and Argentines are avid meat-eaters, consuming an astounding average of 70kg (154lb) of beef per person per ...