Jun 03, 2021
Mato Grosso Corn 4 Million Tons Below Initial Expectations
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
The safrinha corn production in Brazil has suffered from one of the driest periods in 90 years. The state of Mato Grosso is the largest safrinha corn producing state in Brazil responsible for approximately 45% of the total production. While the weather in Mato Grosso has been better than in other parts of Brazil, the dryer than normal conditions have taken a toll on the crop.
Approximately 40% of the safrinha corn in the state was planted after the ideal planting window had closed at the end of February. The planting was delayed by as much as a month or more due to the delayed soybean harvest. A lack of rainfall after planting has been especially troublesome for the later planted corn.
The technical director of the Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural Economics (Imea) had originally estimated the safrinha corn production in the state at 36 million tons, but he has now reduced the estimate to 32 million tons with the potential of moving it even lower. The statewide corn yield last year in the state was 109 sacks per hectare (104 bu/ac), but the yield this year is expected to be in the range of 93.8 sacks per hectare (89.4 bu/ac).
The areas hardest hit by the dry weather was in southeastern Mato Grosso in the municipalities of Primavera do Leste and Rondonopolis. The mid-north municipalities of Lucas do Rio Verde, Sorriso, and Sinop were also impacted as well as the center-south municipalities of Tangara do Serra and Diamantino.
Some early harvest activity has started in the state, and it will increase during the second half of June. The peak harvest activity will occur during July and August. Farmers have sold approximately 74% of their anticipated corn production, but sales have slowed in recent months while farmers wait to confirm their production.