Brazil’s Record Grain Harvest Should Reach 240.7 Million Tons

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The National Supply Company (Conab) released yesterday, July 11th, the figures for the 10th Survey of Grain Crops 2018/2019. According to the company, Brazil should set a new record with a production of around 240.7 million tons.

The expected growth is 5.7 percent, representing thirteen million tons higher than in the 2017/18 harvest. The cultivated area is estimated at 62.9 million hectares, an increase of 1.9 percent over the previous crop.

The survey shows that second crop corn should be one of the significant factors during the period, with a record production forecast of 72.4 million tons, an increase of 34.2 percent. The first crop of corn, on the other hand, is expected to reach 26.2 million tons, a drop of 2.5 percent.

Cotton production is expected to increase by 32.9 percent, the equivalent to 6.7 million seed cotton or 2.7 million lint cotton. In the case of soybeans, the forecast is for a 3.6 percent reduction in production, reaching 115 million tons.

The Center-West and South regions account for more than 78 percent of this production.

The products with the most significant increases in the cultivated area (in hectares) were second crop corn (819,200), soybeans (717,400) and cotton (425,500). Soybeans grew 2 percent in planted area, reaching 35.9 million hectares.

Winter Crops

Conab estimates a wheat production of 5.5 million tons in 1.99 million hectares, 2.4 percent less than the area cultivated in 2018. The other winter crops (oats, canola, rye, barley, and triticale) show a slight increase in the cultivated area, rising from 546,500 to 552,200 hectares. Weather conditions have been favoring crops.