PR Harvest 2024/25: climate and pests affect 2nd crop tomatoes

The Economic Bulletin of the Department of Rural Economy (Deral), released this Wednesday (30), points to a mixed scenario in the Paraná countryside: while corn remains stable in crops, wheat is making progress in planting and tomatoes are facing a drop in productivity and strong price volatility.

 The second corn harvest, cultivated on 2,7 million hectares, continues with 63% of the crops in good condition, boosted by the rains of the last few days. Even so, 14% of the area is in poor condition and may not reach the expected yield, while 23% remains in average condition. Nationally, production totals more than 120 million tons, with emphasis on the Center-West, responsible for 57% of this volume.

Wheat planting has already reached 14% of the projected area in Paraná, concentrated mainly in the North region. Soil moisture favors growth, but unattractive prices — currently around R$80 per bag — discourage producers. The area estimate was revised to 886 thousand hectares, below the 910 thousand predicted in March and 22% smaller than the area planted in 2024. Deral notes that other winter crops, such as oats and barley, should gain ground.

In tomatoes, the first harvest is practically over, with 97% of the 2,5 thousand hectares harvested, resulting in 168,4 thousand tons — a volume slightly below the projected one. Meanwhile, the second harvest, with 1,7 thousand hectares, has a productivity of only 38,7 t/ha, far from the target of 64,8 t/ha. The poor performance is attributed to heat waves and the occurrence of a new pest.

On the market, tomato prices remain unstable. In the wholesale market in Curitiba, a 20 kg box of the extra AA long-life type went from R$60 in January to a peak of R$150 in March. This week, it fell to R$80. In retail, the product was sold at R$10,25/kg in the first half of April — an increase of 84,4% compared to January.