Progress of soybean and corn harvest in Brazil faces challenges

The soybean harvest in Brazil has reached 76,4% of the cultivated area, with states presenting different productivity scenarios due to weather conditions. Mato Grosso, for example, is close to completing the harvest, with good productivity maintained. This is what the Weekly Monitoring of Crop Conditions bulletin, released by the National Supply Company (Conab), indicates.

In Rio Grande do Sul, dry weather accelerated the harvest, but also hindered crop development. In the Western Frontier and Missões, some areas are facing productivity below 10 bags per hectare. In Paraná, the harvest reached 81% of the cultivated area, with good productivity in most of the crops.

In other regions, such as Mato Grosso do Sul, the rains interrupted the harvest in some areas, while Goiás and Minas Gerais saw a reduction in productivity due to the dry spell that occurred in February. The lack of rain in Santa Catarina affected the harvest in the West, as well as in late crops in Bahia. 

In contrast, Maranhão advanced quickly with the harvest, although later crops in the state were also affected by the lack of rain. In Piauí, the water deficit in some areas hampered crop development, but in Pará, crops in Paragominas and Santarém are developing well.

Corn

With 48% of the area harvested in the country, the first corn harvest also presents a mixed scenario. In Minas Gerais, expectations are positive, despite the reduction in the productive potential of some crops due to the lack of rain in February. In Rio Grande do Sul, the return of dry weather has once again brought symptoms of water stress to late-sown crops. 

In Piauí, the water deficit has also affected the production potential in some areas of the Southwest. In Santa Catarina, the harvest continues to advance, and productivity remains high. In Maranhão, corn crops continue to develop in good conditions.

The second corn crop has 2% of the area planted. In Mato Grosso, planting has been completed, and crops continue to develop well. In Paraná, low rainfall in March has affected production potential, especially in the west of the state. In Mato Grosso do Sul, recent rains have improved crop conditions, while in Goiás, low soil moisture has compromised the efficiency of topdressing in some regions.

In Minas Gerais, the dry spell in February and early March affected planting, reducing the planted area and forcing replanting in some regions. In Tocantins and Maranhão, the weather conditions continue to be favorable for crop development. In Piauí, crop development is regular, with delayed growth due to the dry spell in some areas. Finally, in Pará, planting has begun in the regions of Santarém and Paragominas, with good prospects for crop development.

Climate and impacts on crops

The agrometeorological forecast up to March 31st indicates good rainfall volumes in the North, Northeast and part of the Central-West, which should benefit the soybean and corn crops of the first and second harvest. The rains in Matopiba should also help the corn of the second harvest and the soybeans still in the grain filling. However, the water deficit will persist in the Southeast of Piauí and in the North-Central and South-Central regions of Bahia, which may continue to negatively affect some cultivation areas.

In the South, the forecast of rain in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina should restore soil moisture and help the development of soybean and corn crops. In Paraná, rainfall will be lower, which could accentuate water restrictions, especially affecting second-crop corn in some regions of the West and North.