Sep 06, 2019
3% of Full-Season Corn Planted in Parana in Southern Brazil
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
The soil moisture in the state of Parana in southern Brazil is sufficient for farmers to start planting their 2019/20 summer crops. According to the Department of Rural Economics (Deral), farmers in the state have planted 3% of their full-season corn crop, which is estimated at 335,800 hectares. The state of Parana is Brazil's second largest corn producing state with the majority of the state's corn produced as a second crop following the soybean harvest.
The first corn planting is taking place in eastern Parana near the city of Ponta Grosso. The president of the Rural Syndicate of Ponta Grossa indicated that farmers in the region have already started planting their full-season corn and dry beans and they will start planting their soybeans about September 15th. Deral reported that 94% of the emerged corn is rated in good condition and 6% is rated in average condition.
Farmers in the state have harvested 12% of their 2019 wheat crop. Of the wheat that is still in the field, 51% is rated in good condition, 38% is rated as average, and 11% is rated as poor. The development of the wheat crop in the state is very spread out with 14% in vegetative development, 14% flowering, 20% filling grain, and 52% maturing. The wheat harvest will not be completed until probably sometime in November. Virtually all the wheat in the state will be followed by soybeans.
The Brazilian National Weather Service (Inmet) is forecasting additional rains for Parana over the next few days. The forecasted rains will add to the already sufficient soil moisture in the western and southern parts of the state. Farmers in the state are anxiously awaiting September 11th, which is the date they may start planting their 2019/20 soybeans. The earlier they plant their soybeans, the more time that will be available for their safrinha corn production. The yield potential for safrinha corn is generally higher the earlier it is planted in January or February.
Farmers in Parana are hopeing to rebound from the poor growing season of 2018/19 when a severe drought between late November and early January negatively impacted their crop production.