São Paulo wheat expects record harvest for 2018, with volume above 300 thousand tons

An excellent year for wheat in São Paulo. This was the definition of the wheat farming sector for 2018, during the meeting of the Sector Chamber, held on March 28, at the headquarters of the Secretariat of Agriculture and Supply of the State of São Paulo.

Throughout the morning, different links in the wheat chain debated the results achieved by the sector in 2017 and expectations for this year's harvest in São Paulo. According to a projection made at the meeting, grain production in the state could register a significant increase compared to 2017.

“Last year's numbers were already very positive for wheat in the state, but based on the projections presented by the cooperatives during the meeting, we will record an increase in production volume of more than 20%, with a harvest estimated at more than 300 thousand tons for 2018. ”, says the president of the Sector Chamber, Maurício Ghiraldelli.

According to the cooperatives present, the area destined for planting in the state is expected to increase, as well as the volume of grains produced. The Capão Bonito Agricultural cooperative reported that the expectation is a significant growth of 50% in the areas destined for wheat.

The marketing agent for the São Paulo unit of the Castrolanda cooperative, José Reinaldo Oliveira, highlighted that the cooperative members are very excited about the current scenario and the results of the last harvest in the state. “Regarding the area, we expect to register around 15 thousand hectares, with higher productivity than last year, around 50 thousand tons of wheat upon reception, 20% more than what we received in the 2017 harvest”.

“Our outlook is very positive for wheat this year. We should record an increase in the total production area, as well as in volume. We are looking for changes in our production profile, aiming to improve the quality of the grain”, explains the commercial manager of the Agroindustrial Holambra cooperative, Almerindo José Junior Vidilli.

Another highlight, raised at the meeting, is the increase in the quality of the product offered to the mills, a factor that pleases the market and reduces the need to purchase foreign wheat, as the grain produced in the state meets the needs of the milling industry.

“Our main point of debate, in these almost five years since the reactivation of the Sector Chamber, has always been the improvement of the quality of the grain offered by São Paulo producers, in addition to the reduction in the varieties cultivated. With these numbers, reports from the field and industry representatives, we can say that this objective is being achieved and that with each harvest we record the evolution of the grain in the state”, highlights Maurício, who was re-elected to the position of president during the meeting .

“We couldn’t project better numbers for this year. In addition to the increase in the volume of grains, the expectation is that we will also record an improvement in the quality of wheat in São Paulo. Without a doubt, the Sector Chamber is one of the determining points for this growth in the state, as at each meeting we bring real information to the producer, so that they can make strategic decisions for the culture”, concludes the president.