Brazilian agricultural production should grow 12.5% this harvest

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazil is expected to produce a total volume of 284.4 million tons of grains in the 2021/2022 harvest, an increase of 12.5%, or 32 million tons, over last year’s crop.

The forecast is part of the fourth estimate of the 2021/22 harvest, released on Tuesday (11/01) by the National Supply Company (Conab).

The highlight was for soybeans, with an increase in the sown area of 3.8%, and for the wheat harvest ended with a record production of 7.7 million tons.

The final result of the wheat production was above that obtained last season, even with adverse weather conditions, with prolonged periods of drought and the incidence of frost recorded in part of the cycle.

The estimated area to be cultivated in the country for this harvest is 72.1 million hectares, an increase of 4.5% over the previous crop.

The concern of Conab technicians is with the climatic situation. “We have been following the news about the large volume of precipitation; there is rain in a large part of our country. However, the South Region is very affected by drought, the opposite of what is happening in large parts. The South Region is a producer of corn and soybeans, which has impacted our annual production. This situation in the South is being closely monitored”, said the president of Conab, Guilherme Ribeiro.

Considering the first, second, and third harvests, the total corn production is estimated at 112.9 million tons.

LEADERSHIP

The survey shows that Brazil continues to be the most significant world producer of soybeans. The planted area had a 3.8% growth, and the estimated production is 140.5 million tons.

“We have already started soybean harvesting in the state of Mato Grosso, the harvest is quite nascent, and sowing has yet to be concluded in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. Sowing was not concluded there precisely because of this drought. The soil is dry, there is not enough humidity for producers to finish planting,” points out Conab’s manager of Crop Monitoring, Rafael Fogaça.

Other crops also showed good numbers, such as cotton, which grew by 12.5% in the area to be sown and estimated production of 2.7 million tons.

EXPORT

In agricultural exports, the highlights are cotton lint, which closed in 2021 with exports above 2 million tons for the second consecutive year, a number 58% above the last five years’ average.

As for soybeans, Brazil sold 86.1 million tons in the foreign market, surpassing the record of 2018. A new record is expected for this year, with exports expected to reach 89 million tons of the oilseed.

BULLETIN

This is the 4th Grain Crop Survey 2021/2022, conducted between December 12 and 18. In all, there are 12 surveys released monthly by Conab.

The bulletin monitors the development conditions of the country’s main crops: cotton, peanuts, rice, oats, canola, rye, barley, beans, sunflower seeds, castor beans, corn, soybeans, sorghum, wheat, and triticale. Soybeans and corn account for 90% of Brazil’s agricultural production.