Santa Catarina takes a position and defends the soybean planting deadline of February 10, 2024

Last week, Cultivar followed the developments of the Ministry of Agriculture (Mapa) regarding the soybean sowing calendar in the national territory, and the opinion on the request of the Santa Catarina State Department of Agriculture to determine a state sowing calendar, which would have a starting date of September 21, 2023 and an end date of February 10, 2024. 

Following the update of the calendar, defined through Ordinance SDA/MAPA no. 886/2023, Santa Catarina's agricultural representations spoke out, once again, defending the requested deadline and stating that “the new calendar established [...] is untimely decision by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and does not meet the reality of rural producers in Santa Catarina”.

According to the official note, the dates do not include the initial request, and partially adopt the alternative proposal, which aimed to maintain soybean cultivation in the state, which is a reference in agricultural research and defense in Brazil. 

The representations also highlight the Joint Technical Opinion Adapar-Cidasc-DDV/Seapi-RS nº 01/2023, from the State Agricultural Defense Bodies of the three States of the Southern Region of Brazil, which presents technical proof that maintaining the sowing deadline would benefit producers and the State as a whole, and would not harm the issues inherent to soybean rust control. 

Deadlines defined by Mapa in Santa Catarina 

Region 1 - from October 13, 2023 to February 10, 2024;

Region 2 - from October 02, 2023 to January 30, 2024;

Region 3 - from October 02, 2023 to January 30, 2024;

Region 4 - from October 02, 2023 to January 10, 2024.