Mar 11, 2021
Safrinha Corn Planting in Mato Grosso do Sul very Delayed
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
Brazilian farmers in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul continue to struggle to harvest their soybeans and to plant their safrinha corn. In their weekly bulletin, the Agriculture and Livestock Confederation of Mato Grosso do Sul (Famasul) indicated that the safrinha corn planting was 32.5% completed as of last Friday, which is 27.5% slower than a year earlier.
The planting delays are due to the slow pace of the soybean harvest. The soybean planting was delayed last September and October due to dry conditions, and now the soybean harvest is being delayed even more due to wet conditions.
Famasul is still estimating that the safrinha corn acreage in Mato Grosso do Sul will increase 5.7% this year to 2.00 million hectares, but that may be in doubt if the planting delays persist.
The ideal planting window for safrinha corn in Mato Grosso do Sul is between early February and March 10th. Therefore, the ideal window is already closed and the crop is less than half planted. Farmers will continue to plant their safrinha until about the end of March, but the expected yields for the late planted corn will be low due to the potential for frost before the crop reached maturity.
Farmers are willing to plant their corn later than normal due to the very strong domestic corn prices. Corn prices in the state are very good at R$ 74.50 per sack (approximately $6.20 per bushel). This is 66% higher than last March when corn prices averaged R$ 43.94 per sack (approximately $3.60 per bushel).