Feb 21, 2022
Conab Conducting Special Crop Survey in Southern Brazil
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
In order to better understand the extent of the drought damage in southern Brazil, Conab is partnering with state agencies in the states of Parana, Mato Grosso do Sul, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul to conduct a special survey to more accurately assess the damage to the soybean crop caused by the drought. The survey started in early February and will conclude by the end of February.
In Parana for example, the Department of Rural Economics (Deral) identified 385 points within the state where they will collect samples to ground-verify the extent of the losses. During the pandemic, Conab reduced the amount of data collected in the field, but the extent of damage caused by the drought, convinced Conab that they needed to increase the amount of field data to better judge the extend of the damage.
The drought in these four states started in mid-November and continued until mid-January. Temperatures during that period were record high or near record high for several weeks. The hot and dry conditions occurred as the soybeans were setting pods and filling pods. Many producers in the region indicated that the 2021/22 soybean crop is the worst they ever produced.
The USDA conducts similar special surveys in the United States when extreme weather events such as floods or droughts justifies a more in-dept assessment of the damage. These agencies usually do not conduct these special surveys unless they feel the damage could be worse than they are currently estimating.