Feb 23, 2022
Brazil Soybeans 33% Harvested vs. 15% Last Year, 23% Average
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
The 2021/22 soybeans in Brazil were 33% harvested late last week compared to 15% last year and 23% average according to AgRural. This represents an advance of 9% for the week. Mato Grosso leads the way with 67.7% of the soybean crop harvested.
Mato Grosso - The soybeans in Mato Grosso were 67.7% harvested late last week compared to 34.5% last year and 59.6% average according to the Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural Economics (Imea). This represents an advance of 7% for the week. The most advanced harvest is in the western region of the state where 79% of the soybeans have been harvested. The slowest harvest is in the center-south region of the state where 42% of the soybeans have been harvested.
After a quick start to the harvest, wet weather has slowed the harvest pace which is now only about 8 points ahead of average. The wet conditions have also resulted in quality concerns. Many farmers are being forced to harvest their soybeans at high moisture and they are also reporting that some of the soybeans are poor quality.
Municipality of Sinop - In the municipality of Sinop in northern Mato Grosso, the 2021/22 soybeans are approximately 60% harvested and producers are reporting yields below expectations and poor-quality grain. Excessive rain during December and January resulted in lodged plants and seeds rotting inside the pods (see later article concerning the rotted seed). The president of the Rural Union of Sinop/MT indicated that in the hardest hit areas, some fields were a complete loss due to the lodged plants and rotted seed.
Parana - The Department of Rural Economics (Deral) indicated that farmers in the state had harvested 21% of their soybeans as of earlier last week. The soybeans remaining in the field were rated 32% poor, 32% average, and 36% good.
The president of Aprosoja-PR indicated that they started the 2022/22 growing season expecting Parana to produce 20.9 million tons of soybeans. That estimate has now been lowered to 14 million tons or a decline of 6.9 million tons. In the municipality of Goioere in western Parana, soybean yields are in the range of 3.3 to 24.7 sacks per hectare (3 to 22 bu/ac). In a more normal year, yields would generally be in the range of 74 to 82 sacks per hectare (66 to 73 bu/ac).
The president of Aprosoja-PR is advising farmers in the state to invest what is necessary to maximize the yield potential of their safrinha corn. Farmers are planting their safrinha corn as quickly as possible, but some farmers have delayed planting due to a lack of soil moisture.
Rio Grande do Sul - Emater indicated the soybeans in the state were 15% in vegetative development, 37% flowering, 44% filling pods, 4% mature. Emater is now estimating that the state will produce 11 million tons of soybeans, which is down 43.8% from their original estimate of 19.9 million tons. Last year the state harvested 20.4 million tons.
In their February Crop Report, Conab estimated the soybean production in Rio Grande do Sul at 13.73 million tons or 2.7 million tons more than Emater. As noted earlier in this report, Conab is conducting a special crop survey in southern Brazil, including Rio Grande do Sul, to better assess the damage caused by the drought.
Goias - In the municipality of Jatai in southwestern Goias, farmers have harvested 75% of their soybeans and they are reporting soybean yields better than expected. According to the president of the Rural Union of Jatai/GO, the long-term average soybean yield is in the range of 60-63 sacks per hectare (53.6-56.3 bu/ac), but the yields this year are expected to be higher than average. The weather in Goias this growing season has been very beneficial for the soybeans.
Sao Paulo - The weather in Sao Paulo this growing season has been in the transition zone between excessive rainfall in the northern part of the state to drought in the southern part of the state near Parana. The president of Aprosoja/SP expects the statewide soybean yield to be more than 60 sacks per hectare (53.6 bu/ac) resulting in a record production of 4.5 million tons. The yield range in the state is very wide from 90 sacks per hectare (80 bu/ac) for irrigated soybeans to 35 sacks per hectare (31 bu/ac) for dryland soybeans.