2025/26 harvest costs rise in Mato Grosso

Mato Grosso's agriculture sector has been facing rising costs, especially for fertilizers and pesticides. This is according to the CPA Project - Agricultural Production Cost for the 2025/26 Harvest, conducted by the Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural Economics (Imea) and the Mato Grosso National Rural Learning Service (Senar-MT), presented this Wednesday (September 17) in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso. 

For soybeans, for example, the total cost of the 2025/26 harvest reached R$7.657,89/ha, an increase of 7,69% compared to the previous harvest, driven mainly by the 9,23% increase in fertilizer spending and the 4,33% increase in pesticides. For corn, the total cost increased 9,69%, reaching R$6.684,91/ha, also pressured by agricultural inputs.

At the same time, the profitability of key crops is under pressure. Soybeans, which recorded an EBITDA of R$2024/ha in 25/1.961,45, are projected to decline 43,76% by 2025/26, falling to R$1.103,03/ha. Corn's profitability margin is also shrinking, with an estimated EBITDA of R$515,60/ha, a 47,86% drop compared to the previous harvest. Cotton, while remaining the most attractive crop for the second harvest, also shows a significant margin reduction, with an EBITDA projected at R$4.097,35/ha, a 33,61% drop compared to 2024/25.

According to Imea production cost analysts Abraão Viana and Milena Habeck, the CPA points to efficiency and management strategies capable of mitigating risks and preparing producers for market fluctuations. The report shows, for example, that the soybean breakeven point in 2025/26 will be 52,49 bags/ha, while projected productivity is 60,45 bags/ha, guaranteeing producers a margin on the actual operating cost of 7,96 bags/ha. For corn, the estimated productivity of 116,61 bags/ha exceeds the breakeven point of 107,29 bags/ha, allowing the activity to remain economically viable even with rising costs.

Currently, the CPA monitors 12 agricultural activities in Mato Grosso, including soybeans and corn, cotton, beef cattle, dairy cattle, pig farming, sugarcane, eucalyptus, beans, sesame, round fish, and teak. The current edition also expanded the study to include two new activities: beekeeping and coffee growing. According to Rodrigo Silva, Imea's intelligence coordinator, this initiative represents the project's evolution and commitment to increasingly broaden its coverage of the agricultural sector's diversity.