Mar 10, 2022
Rio Grande do Sul to Produce Smallest Soybean Crop in 10 Years
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
Earlier this week, Emater estimated the 2021/22 soybean production in the state of Rio Grande do Sul at 9.54 million tons compared to 11.2 million tons in February (-1.6 million tons). This represents a reduction of 52% compared to their initial estimate at the start of the growing season. Rio Grande do Sul is usually Brazil's second or third largest soybean producing state.
If verified, this would be the smallest soybean harvest since 2012 when the state produced 6.5 million tons. Hot and dry conditions were particularly harmful in the western part of the state where there were record high temperatures for several weeks.
Corn production was also impacted by the adverse weather and the corn production in Rio Grande do Sul is estimated at 2.74million tons or down 50% from initial expectations.
Rio Grande do Sul is Brazil's largest rice producing state, but the rice was not impacted as much as the other crops because much of the crop is irrigated. Even with irrigation, the rice crop is expected to be down 4.5% compared to initial expectations.
In comparison to the 2020/21 crop, soybean production in the state is expected to be down 53.3%, corn down 37.5%, and rice down 13.1%.