Oct 01, 2021

Farmers in Goias Starting to Plant their 2021/22 Soybeans

Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.

With end of the Soybean-Free period on September 25th, farmers in the state of Goias in central Brazil are now starting to plant their 2021/22 soybeans in areas that received rain or if the farmers have irrigation.

The start of the summer rains has been uneven with higher amounts in the northern part of the state and lower amounts or none in southern Goias where the soybean production is concentrated. Areas of eastern Goias have some of the highest rates of center pivot irrigation in Brazil and farmers with that capability, are actively planting their soybeans.

According to the president of Aprosoja-GO, the soybean planting in Goias should accelerate after October 10th when the forecast is calling for more regular rainfall. He expects the soybean acreage in the state to increase 5% in 2021/22 to 3.9 million hectares (9.6 million acres) with a production as high as 14 million tons.

Now that farmers have adequate resources to plant their 2021/22 crop, they have slowed down the pace of forward contracting their anticipated soybean production. Additionally, they do not want to repeat what happened last year when they forward contracted too much of their anticipated production only to miss out on much higher prices later in the growing season.

Last year, Goias was the fourth largest soybean producing state in Brazil after Mato Grosso, Parana, and Rio Grande do Sul. Goias's 2020/21 production was 13.7 million tons which represented 10% of Brazil's soybean production. In 2020/21, farmers in the state planted 3.69 million hectares (9.1 million acres) with a yield of 3,715 kg/ha (55.3 bu/ac).