Oct 06, 2022

2022/23 Corn Production in Mato Grosso Estimated at 45.5 mt

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

In their second evaluation of the 2022/23 corn production in the state of Mato Grosso, which is Brazil's largest corn producing state, the Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural Economics (Imea), estimated that farmers in the state will plant 7.27 million hectares of corn in 2022/23 (17.95 million acres). This represents an increase of 1.8% compared to 2021/22.

Statewide corn yields are expected to be 104.3 sacks per hectare (99.5 bu/ac), which would be an increase of 2.05% compared to 2021/22. The total corn production in the state is estimated at 45.5 million tons or an increase of 3.8% compared to 2021/22.

Since nearly all the corn in Mato Grosso is planted as a second crop after soybeans, a timely soybean harvest is essential for high corn yields. Thus far, the soybean planting in the state is progressing very rapidly, so farmers should be able to plant their safrinha corn within the ideal planting window which closes about the third week of February.

Weather during the growing season will also impact the corn yields and the weather during the last two growing seasons has been disappointing. The most important aspect of the weather is when the summer rains end. Usually, the last significant summer rain occurs in early May. During the 2021/22 growing season, the last significant rain occurred at the end of March, which resulted in low yields for the late planted safrinha corn.