Piauí and Maranhão drive soybean expansion in the Northeast.

New data from Serasa Experian shows distinct trends in the planted area of ​​soybeans among the states analyzed in the third edition of the “Mapas Agro” series. Comparing the 2024/25 and 2025/26 harvests, Piauí and Maranhão together expanded their cultivated area by approximately 43 hectares (ha), while Acre and Amazonas, analyzed in a consolidated manner, registered a reduction of approximately 4 ha, equivalent to a 12% decrease.

Piauí led the growth in the current cycle, with an increase of approximately 32 hectares, followed by Maranhão, with about 11 hectares. The results show that the development of crops is not uniform across the territories. While Piauí and Maranhão maintained the expansion of soybean cultivation, Acre and Amazonas interrupted, in this harvest, the growth trajectory observed in recent years.

“Territorial analysis allows us to identify not only where agricultural activity is advancing, but also the locations where there is a change in trend. This insight is important so that financial institutions, cooperatives, trading companies, insurance companies, and other agribusiness companies can anticipate movements, assess risks and opportunities, and plan their commercial, logistical, and credit operations with greater precision,” says Sabrina Muñoz, agricultural data intelligence manager at Serasa Experian.

Piauí leads soybean growth in the current harvest.

The planted area of ​​soybeans in Piauí reached approximately 1,1 million hectares in the 2025/26 crop season. In addition to an increase of about 32 hectares compared to the previous cycle, the state has accumulated an expansion of 40,2% in the last six crop seasons, equivalent to approximately 320 additional hectares since 2020/21.

In the municipal analysis conducted by the datatech company, the largest increases in planted area were recorded in Santa Filomena, with approximately 8,6 hectares, and Currais, with approximately 8,3 hectares.

Maranhão reaches 1,62 million hectares cultivated with soybeans.

In Maranhão, the planted area of ​​soybeans reached approximately 1,62 million hectares in the 2025/26 crop season, the largest area among the states analyzed in this edition. Compared to the previous cycle, the growth was about 11 hectares.

Over the next six harvests, the state shows a cumulative expansion of 51,2%, corresponding to approximately 550 hectares. "It's important to highlight that Maranhão has doubled its soybean area in the last 6 years, which shows us once again how much the Matopiba region is one of the main agricultural frontiers in Brazil," comments Sabrina Muñoz.

The largest municipal gains in the current harvest were observed in Mirador, with approximately 5,9 additional hectares. 

Combined, Maranhão and Piauí account for approximately 2,72 million hectares of soybean cultivation. When also considering the 2,27 million hectares mapped in Bahia in the previous edition of the series, the three states reach approximately 5 million hectares under cultivation and represent practically the entire area of ​​soybean planting in the Northeast region of Brazil.

Acre and Amazonas interrupt recent expansion trajectory.

In the states of Acre and Amazonas combined, the planted area of ​​soybeans reached approximately 28 hectares in the 2025/26 crop season. This represents a reduction of about 4 hectares, or 12%, compared to the previous cycle.

Despite the decline recorded in the current harvest, both states still show strong growth over the longer period. Since 2020/21, the cultivated area has increased by approximately 20 hectares, a cumulative expansion of 232,6% in six harvests.

Despite the identified decline, some municipalities expanded their soybean acreage. The largest increases were observed in Senador Guiomard, with 761 hectares, Cruzeiro do Sul, with 280 hectares, and Epitaciolândia, with 164 hectares.

First-crop corn production advances approximately 23%.

The mapping also identified significant growth in the area of ​​first-crop corn in Maranhão and Piauí. Together, the two states account for 322.842 hectares under cultivation, with 156.599 hectares in Maranhão and 166.243 hectares in Piauí.

Compared to the 2024/25 harvest, the corn acreage in both states grew by approximately 23%. Municipalities such as Uruçuí, Baixa Grande do Ribeiro, Balsas, and Bom Jesus das Selvas have been increasing their participation in cultivation within a context of the expanding corn ethanol chain in the region.

Mapping also supports socio-environmental analyses.

In addition to tracking the expansion and contraction of crops, the Serasa Experian survey identified areas cultivated with soybeans located on rural properties that have records of deforestation identified by Prodes, an initiative developed at INPE that monitors vegetation loss due to clear-cutting. These analyses are important for evaluating socio-environmental criteria foreseen in the Rural Credit Manual (MCR).

In Maranhão, approximately 272 hectares of soybeans, equivalent to 16,7% of the cultivated area in the state, are located on these properties. In Piauí, the volume reaches about 93 hectares, or 8,5% of the planted area. In the combined states of Acre and Amazonas, 699 hectares were identified, corresponding to 2,5%.

The presence of the indicator does not, in itself, determine that the removal of vegetation occurred irregularly. In such cases, the MCR requires the presentation of documentation proving the legality of the vegetation removal, in accordance with applicable legislation.

The study also identified soybean cultivation in rural settlements. In Maranhão, these areas total approximately 90 hectares. In Piauí, they account for 452 hectares, while Acre and Amazonas together account for about 230 hectares.