For the second year, wheat production breaks record

With harvests 100% complete in the south of the country, the Brazilian wheat harvest in 2022 has come to an end. In the final balance, another record harvest. Production in this cycle reached 9,5 million tons, an increase of approximately 24% compared to 2021, according to data from Conab. Despite these numbers, however, the harvest was marked by contrasts in different cereal producing regions.

In Paraná, for example, the final production figures closed at 3,38 million tons, a value below the potential that the state has. Still, the volume was around 5% higher than that produced in 2021.

“In the north and center-west of Paraná, the drop in production was due to the lack of rain until the month of August. In other regions, frost and rain during the harvest reduced not only the volume, but also the quality”, highlights the wheat analyst from the Department of Rural Economy of Paraná (Deral/PR), Carlos Hugo Godinho.

According to him, despite this, the wheat area in the state can count on an increase for the next harvest, especially in regions that may delay the soybean harvest and, consequently, the sowing of second-crop corn.

According to Biotrigo's commercial manager for Latin America, Fernando Michel Wagner (photo at the top of this page), excessive rainfall and the occurrence of frosts were also observed in the main producing region of the state of São Paulo, which should not impact the area reduction, due to the high local demand for grain.

In Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina, the scenario was different. Wheat harvests in these states were record in area and production, and the crop was a great ally for producers to balance cash flow after the frustrations of the summer harvest.

“We had a very big drought in soybeans and corn, so we were left with a loss and wheat came to settle the accounts, giving us enormous help”, reveals the farmer from Tapera (RS), Alexandre Picinin.

The producer reached an average of 86 bags per hectare in his crop, which also had, in some areas, productivity above 100 sc/ha. “One factor that has evolved considerably in recent years is cultivars, which are increasingly improving in terms of productivity and plant health. This really encourages us,” he comments.

According to the technical director of Emater/RS, Alencar Rugeri, the increase in wheat area in the state, in addition to the benefits that the crop brings to the production system, is directly linked to farmers' remuneration expectations.

“Currently, we are confident that wheat has a generous space in the state, due to its market alternatives, such as milling, export, for feed, ethanol, among others, and due to the technological advances in genetics, in which the crop is one of the main exponents in this regard”, he states.

For Rugeri, it seems that the state should count on an expansion of the wheat area in the next harvest. “The scenario is positive and the producer wants it. I am convinced that the 2022 harvest will be a watershed between wheat producers and wheat farmers”, he declares.

Crop balance in the Cerrado

When talking about wheat in Brazil, the theme of the search for cereal self-sufficiency in the country is recurring. And for this to be achievable, the Cerrado is a key part of this process. According to Wagner, the 2022 wheat harvest in the Cerrado experienced one of the biggest droughts in recent years.

“When we look at productivity, especially in the rainfed system, they were not high, due to the lack of rain. On the other hand, when we look at profitability, the producer's expectations were exceeded. With this, he is looking to the future, a factor that has been consolidating the expansion of the cereal area in the region”, he points out.

For Wagner, this harvest is proof that local genetic improvement, combined with qualified technical assistance, will be essential for consolidating the culture and increasing the farmer's success rate.

“Despite the challenges that climate variability, a striking aspect in this region, imposes on the crop, there is a clear movement towards the advancement of wheat in the Cerrado”, he concludes.