IBGE reduces estimate for Brazilian grain harvest in 2021 to 251.7 million tons

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Brazilian grain harvest in 2021, which is in its final stretch, is expected to total 251.7 million tons, 1% lower than in 2020, according to a new Systematic Survey of Agricultural Production (LSPA) released on Thursday (9) by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). Compared to the previous projection, the volume is 1.7% lower.

Before the 2020 harvest, the IBGE calculates a 10.1% growth in soy production, to 133.8 million tons (a new record), and a 15.5% decrease in corn – whose crop was hit by the weather – to 87.3 million tons. The estimate is 11.5 million tons for rice, a rise of 4.3%, and for herbaceous cotton, 5.9 million tons, a fall of 16.6%.

Soybeans, corn, and rice are the three main products in the group. Together, they represent 92.4% of the estimated total production and occupy 87.6% of the area to be harvested. The LSPA released today indicates that this area is 68.3 million hectares, up 4.3% from 2020.

In relation to the results of the previous year’s LSPA, IBGE highlighted adjustments in the production estimates for 3rd-crop beans (4.0%, or 21,500 tons), soybeans (0.3%, or 341,000 tons), and barley (0.1%, or 600 tons) upward.

On the other hand, there were negative variations in the estimates for sorghum (6.0%, or 151,400 tons), 2nd-crop corn (-5.2%, or 3.4 million tons), 1st-crop beans (-4.8%, or 58,200 tons), 2nd-crop beans (-3.1%, or 30,500 tons), wheat (-2.3%, or 189,400 tons), and oats (-1.1%, or 11,400 tons).