Wheat harvest opened in Rio Grande do Sul

Amid a positive scenario for the wheat harvest, with an increase in area and price, the wheat harvest in Rio Grande do Sul was officially opened this Monday (18/10). The ceremony took place at Fazenda Santa Terezinha, in Cruz Alta. To date, the machines have already harvested more than 5%, that is, approximately 60 thousand hectares of a production estimated by Emater/RS-Ascar at 3,59 million tons.

Driven by heated demand, the price of wheat rose. A 60 kg bag, on average, is worth R$80,70. In the same period last year, the product was priced at R$62,13.

Producers' confidence in the cereal elevated wheat to the main winter crop, ahead of white oat grains (799.714 t), barley (129.934 t) and canola (55.672 t). The area cultivated with grain in the State exceeded one million hectares, which had not happened since 2014. Of the 915,7 thousand hectares cultivated in last year's harvest, this year the cultivated area was 1.177.487 hectares.

Despite recorded losses, mainly in the Northwest of Rio Grande do Sul, the scenario is “positive”, in the assessment of Tarcísio Minetto, coordinator of the Wheat Sector Chamber, one of the 23 sectoral chambers of the State Secretariat for Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development (Seapdr). “If the weather helps, we can harvest the best wheat crop in Rio Grande do Sul, with the area increasing again and with interesting prices,” said Minetto.

In Cruz Alta, there are 23.400 hectares cultivated with the grain, a 30% increase compared to the 18 thousand hectares registered by Emater/RS-Ascar last year. According to the rural extension agent at Emater/RS-Ascar, Larissa dos Reis, the estimated productivity for this harvest, in the municipality, is 3 thousand kg/ha.

Cruz Alta, in the Northwest region, stands out in grain production. The manager of Emater/RS-Ascar in the Ijuí region, Carlos Turra, mentioned that traditional corn areas, for example, which this year should correspond to 92 thousand hectares, could be planted again with wheat. “Who knows, there could be progress in the wheat area, as there is room to expand the area”, analyzed Turra.

Also participating in the official opening of the wheat harvest were the state secretary of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development, Silvana Covatti, who represented governor Eduardo Leite, senator Lasier Martins, the mayor of Cruz Alta, Paula Librelotto, federal deputies Pedro Westphalen, Bibo Nunes and Alceu Moreira, the president of the Legislative Assembly of RS, deputy Gabriel Souza, the president of the Municipal Chamber of Councilors, Mateus do Amaral, the commander of AD3, Brigade General, Moises da Paixão Júnior, and the president of the Sector Chamber of the Winter Crops Production Chain, Hamilton Jardim.