Dec 17, 2018
Dry Weather to reduce Soybean Yields in Paraguay
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
The dry weather impacting western Parana and southern Mato Grosso do Sul is also impacting eastern Paraguay. Soybean planting started in the region in September, but it was slowed by excessive moisture in October. The weather during November turned completely the opposite and the month ended up being very dry. In some areas of eastern Paraguay, there has practically been no rainfall at all thus far during December.
The early crop development was Ok, but there was a lack of sunshine and excess cloud cover during the rainy month of October. Last week was a bad week for the soybean crop in eastern Paraguay with high temperatures, strong winds, and dry air. Temperatures last week were as high as 40°C (104°F) with 12 hours of intense sunshine because of the Summer Solstice in South America.
It's the early planted soybeans that could be impacted the most by the recent dry weather because the crop is too far along in its development and the soybeans are now filling pods and there will not be time to recuperate if rains return to the region. The later planted soybeans are still in vegetative development and they could still recuperate with good rains and eventually end up with acceptable yields.
Last year's yields in eastern Paraguay were in the range of 58 sacks per hectare (51.8 bu/ac), but some farmers in the worst areas are now concerned that their soybean yields may be down as much as 50% due to the hot and dry conditions. The yields of the early planted soybeans could fall into the range of 33 sacks per hectare (30 bu/ac).
In their December WASDE Report, the USDA estimated the soybean production in Paraguay at 9.8 million tons, which is unchanged from last month and last year.