Wheat productivity in Rio Grande do Sul fluctuates by region

According to Emater/RS, there is a large variation in productivity between the different wheat-producing regions in Rio Grande do Sul (RS). In general, the crops in Alto Botucaraí, Planalto and Campos de Cima da Serra have the best potential. However, even within the same region, there are variations due to a combination of factors, such as climate conditions, cultivars, crop rotation, sowing time and technology applied. Yields average between 50 and 62 bags per hectare (sc/ha).

According to the agronomist at Embrapa Trigo, Marcelo Klein, doubts still remain regarding the final quality of the wheat produced: “We have heard from producers and industry in different parts of the state, and in the same region, there are partners celebrating the quality, as well as people complaining about the grains that leave the field. We need to wait for the harvest to end to make a more assertive assessment, without suffering from market speculation.”

In the district of Cruzaltinha, in the municipality of Ciríaco, in the RS Plateau, producer Ademar Leite da Silva took advantage of the sun to move the crops. In the 60-hectare area, the wheat harvester shared space with the soybean seeder.

“In agriculture, the saying ‘time is money’ applies. We have to take advantage of good weather to put the machines in the field,” says the producer. The producer expects to close the wheat harvest with an average of 70 bags/ha, estimating a cost of 60 bags/ha for this season. He compares the price received when wheat prices rose two years ago: “In 2022, I sold wheat at R$105 per bag. Today I will sell it at R$80,” says the producer, who always tries to keep wheat in the rotation system with soybeans and corn.

The Campos de Cima da Serra region has always achieved the highest production ceilings for dryland wheat in Brazil, generally presenting stability in quality. The higher altitude environment combines solar radiation and mild temperatures that favor the cultivation of winter cereals. In the region, Sementes Com Vigor cultivated more than 2 thousand hectares of wheat this season. With the first harvests in Muitos Capões, the average yield was close to 80 bags/ha.

“It was not an easy harvest. Frosts were interspersed with warm periods, with an increase in heat especially in August. The weather contributed to both fungi, such as powdery mildew, and bacteria, which have been increasingly frequent in recent years. But in the end, we will have a good wheat harvest, since the weather was favorable during the harvest period, bringing good yields with excellent industrial quality”, says producer Pedro Basso. In this harvest, according to the producer, the heat at the end of winter accelerated the development of the plants, bringing forward the harvest by almost two weeks.

Grains begin to arrive at the industry

Wheat from the region is slowly arriving at Moinho Vacaria, which buys grains to supply the production of wheat flour and mixes for professional baking, with more than 40 products destined for markets in the South and Southeast regions. In the administration of the mill, father and son - Frank and Henry Kim Ting - maintain the family business, which began its activities in Vacaria, RS, back in 1956.

“The goal was to be close to wheat production, reducing logistics costs and ensuring direct contact with the producer,” says Henry, highlighting that the mill’s strategic location allows quick access to the best wheat produced in Brazil: “We rarely need to make blends to improve the quality of the wheat for baking. The wheat produced here is of a quality comparable to the best wheat-growing regions in the world.”

He highlights that the region has technologically advanced producers, proximity to research centers and intense use of technology in the different stages from farming to the consumer's table, factors that make Campos de Cima da Serra stand out in the Brazilian bakery market.

“We launched a program called 'Wheat Paths', precisely with the aim of uniting science, the field and industry. The biggest beneficiary of this work will certainly be the consumer”, concludes Henry.