Winter harvest season concludes with challenges and opportunities in SC.

The winter cereal harvest in Santa Catarina is coming to an end, marked by distinct trajectories for wheat, oats, and barley. The combination of pressured prices in the international market and lower economic attractiveness reduced the area cultivated with wheat in the state. On the other hand, oats and barley constitute important winter alternatives for income generation, production diversification, and soil conservation.

In the case of barley, profitability was favored by the adoption of forward contracts between producers, cooperatives, and the industry, which guaranteed prices and reduced marketing risks. Oats, in turn, reinforced their role both as an economic option and as a strategic crop for soil management and the diversification of production systems.

According to João Rogério Alves, a Socioeconomic and Rural Development analyst at Epagri/Cepa, the wheat harvested in the state has been considered to be of excellent quality; however, not all the news is good. "The negative point is the reduction in the planted area this season. As a result, total production in Santa Catarina is expected to decrease by 11,5%, reaching approximately 382 tons," he explains.

“The scenario is not the best, since the international market keeps the commodity low. The large global supply, coupled with the expectation of a bumper crop in neighboring countries, such as Argentina, should maintain pressure on prices in the national market in the coming months,” concludes Alves.

Although Santa Catarina's share of national cereal production is small, wheat, oats, and barley remain relevant from both agronomic and socioeconomic perspectives. However, the Santa Catarina market is directly influenced by neighboring states. Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná lead national production and are key players in setting prices paid to producers, thus influencing market behavior within Santa Catarina.

Wheat: prices falling and smaller planted area.

Wheat prices continue to fall in Santa Catarina. In November, the average price received by producers decreased by 2,37% compared to the previous month, with a 60kg sack quoted at R$62,20, accumulating a devaluation of 13,44% compared to November of last year. This downward trend follows the international scenario, marked by increased global supply and boosted exports, according to data from the United States Department of Agriculture, which maintains pressure on prices in the domestic market.

In the fields, the harvest has already reached approximately 75% of the cultivated area, with predominantly good conditions in the remaining crops. For the 2025/26 harvest, the estimate indicates a 14,5% reduction in the planted area, which should total 105,1 hectares. Despite the projected 3,5% increase in average productivity, total wheat production in Santa Catarina is expected to decrease by 11,55%, totaling 382,3 tons.

Oats and barley reinforce their strategic role in the winter crop. 

The performance of oats and barley in November reinforces the role of these winter cereals as viable agronomic and socioeconomic alternatives in Santa Catarina, despite the state's small share of the national market. Price formation continues to be strongly influenced by Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul, the country's main producers. In the case of oats, prices in the Paraná market showed an annual decrease of 3,70%, while in Santa Catarina there was stability in the annual comparison. 

For barley, the scenario is more favorable from an economic standpoint. Commercialization occurs mainly through forward contracts with industries and cooperatives, focused on the production of malting barley. In 2025, a large portion of these contracts were closed at attractive prices, and the good yields obtained should result in positive margins, even with current prices lower than a year ago. 

In Santa Catarina, the Epagri/Cepa Crop Monitoring System indicates that the area of ​​oats destined for grain production decreased by 3,47% in the 2025/26 harvest, totaling approximately 34,2 hectares. Even so, the productivity gain, driven by favorable weather conditions throughout the cycle, resulted in a 5,84% increase in state production, close to 52 tons. Barley, on the other hand, maintained a reduced area, with 440 hectares cultivated, but the harvest stood out for its high industrial quality, a reflection of technical management and cultivation under contracts, ensuring market and profitability for producers in Santa Catarina.