2024/25 soybean harvest in Mato Grosso faces climate and logistical challenges

The 2024/25 soybean harvest in Mato Grosso has faced a series of difficulties for producers. The harvest cycle began with a delay in rainfall, which affected planting. During the harvest period, heavy rainfall impacted the quality of the grains and activities in the field. In addition, infrastructure problems worsened the situation, with long lines at warehouses and difficulties in transporting production.

Aprosoja MT vice president Luiz Pedro Bier highlights the lack of infrastructure as one of the main obstacles for the sector. In his region, in the east of the state, the shortage of warehouses has forced producers to use trucks as a temporary solution to store soybeans.

According to Bier, the lack of paved roads also contributes to the increase in queues at unloading points, which can last up to three days. "Trucks charge more because they are stuck in the queue waiting to unload. This is a direct cost for the producer," he says.

The Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural Economics (IMEA) reported that as of February 20, 2025, 50,08% of the soybean crop had been harvested, a significant delay compared to the same period last year. However, the situation improved in the first weeks of March, with a reduction in rainfall and an acceleration in the harvest pace, reaching 91,84% by March 7.

In the northern region of the state, the situation was particularly difficult due to the intensity of the rains. Alexandre Falchetti, coordinator of Aprosoja MT in Marcelândia, reported that the atypical rainfall in January damaged the first batches of soybeans.

Furthermore, the lack of warehouses and the delay in the delivery of inputs also complicated the logistics of outflow and affected corn, which had its planting delayed.

In other regions of the state, the impact of the rains was also significant. In western Mato Grosso, Helena Maria Sandri, coordinator of Aprosoja MT in Diamantino, reported that the prolonged rains had affected the quality of the grains, making them more damaged. In addition, logistics faced major difficulties, with long queues to unload the trucks and a shortage of trucks available for transportation.

Rafael Marsaro, coordinator of Aprosoja MT in Campo Verde, also highlighted the challenges in the south of the state. According to him, the lack of structure to handle the volume of production, especially with wet grains, compromised the drying and storage capacity, which resulted in losses in the crops.

In the eastern region, Jean Marcell Benetti, coordinator of Aprosoja MT in Paranatinga, highlighted that the rains damaged both crops and local infrastructure. The city experienced flooding, which made transporting the harvest even more difficult, as the roads became impassable. The producer highlighted that the lack of resources from the city government made it impossible to maintain the roads, which generated even more costs for farmers.

The lack of warehouses is also a problem in the Arinos Valley region, where, despite new storage units, capacity still does not meet demand. Jaqueline Piovesan, coordinator of Aprosoja MT in the region, explained that excessive rain during the harvest made it difficult to store soybeans, and the refusal of third-party warehouses to receive substandard grains further increased the pressure on producers.

These logistical and climate issues have had an impact on soybean exports. In January and February 2025, Brazilian soybean exports totaled 7,5 million tons, a 20,77% drop compared to the same period in 2024. In the state of Mato Grosso, exports totaled 2,65 million tons, a 24,43% reduction compared to last year.