Feb 18, 2020
2019/20 Brazil Soybeans 27.4% Harvested
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
By the end of last week, the Brazilian soybeans were 27.4% harvested compared to 36.5% last year and 25.2% average according to Arc Mercosul. This represents an advance of approximately 12% for the week. The harvest pace was pushed ahead by Mato Grosso, but wet weather in Goias and Minas Gerais showed the harvest pace in those states.
The weather in Brazil continues to generally be beneficial especially for the soybeans that are filling pods. Wet weather has slowed the harvest pace a little, but there have not been any significant reports of poor quality soybeans, at least not yet. The rainfall in northeastern Brazil has been very beneficial for the late planted soybeans in that region and the concerns about previous dry weather have been eliminated.
The one area of concern continues to be the southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul where persistent dry weather is expected to result in disappointing soybean yields. The state did receive some rain over the weekend and more is in the forecast for early this week.
Most of the early yields are positive especially in the state of Mato Grosso where 58% of the soybeans have been harvested.
Mato Grosso - The Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural Economics (Imea) reported that 58.2% of Mato Grosso's soybeans had been harvested as of late last week compared to 68.7% last year and 43.2% average. This represented an advance of 13.7% for the week. The most advanced harvest is in western Mato Grosso where 76.3% of the soybeans have been harvested. The slowest harvest pace is northeastern Mato Grosso where 36% of the soybeans have been harvested. Most of the yield reports out of Mato Grosso are positive and the state will probably end up with a record soybean yield.
Parana - The Department of Rural Economics (Deral) indicated that 44% of the soybeans were mature and that 10% had been harvested as of earlier last week. The soybeans were rated 1% poor, 6% average, and 93% good. Most of the yield reports have been positive, but there are some areas of the state where dry weather earlier in the growing season is expected to result in lower soybean yields.
Rio Grande do Sul - The soybeans in the state have encountered two periods of moisture stress this growing season and farmers are concerned about potential yield losses. If the rainfall increases over the next few weeks, the later maturing soybeans would be helped. There were some rains across the northern part of the state over the weekend and more rain is forecasted for this week. In the hardest hit areas, the soybean losses could be as high as 35%. According to Emater, the soybeans are 51% filling pods and 5% mature.
Mato Grosso do Sul - The Soybean & Corn Producers Association of Mato Grosso do Sul (Aprosoja/MS), is expecting the state to produce a record 9.9 million tons of soybeans, which would represent an increase of 12.5% compared to last year. They estimate that the soybean acreage in the state increased 6.1% to 3.1 million hectares (7.6 million acres) and that the yield will be 52.1 sacks per hectare (46.2 bu/ac). The increased acreage was the result of the conversion of degraded pastures to row crop production.