Citrus harvest advances in RS and is already approaching the end in some regions

In the Bagé region, the citrus harvest is progressing in the main producing municipalities of the Western Frontier. According to the Conjunctural Information produced and released this Thursday (30/06) by Emater/RS-Ascar, linked to the State Secretariat for Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development (Seapdr), in Rosário do Sul, it is estimated that 90 % of the area planted with bergamots and 72% of the area planted with oranges have already been harvested. 

In the Emater/RS-Ascar de Caxias do Sul region, the period was one of very poor climatic conditions for the development and maintenance of the health of plants and fruits, as the relative humidity of the air and soil was excessive and frequent, in addition to the few periods of direct radiation. Temperatures remained without strong fluctuations, with average values ​​for winter. The orchards have been suffering in this scenario, but they still demonstrate good health. The biggest concern for citrus growers became the incidence of early blight on ripening fruits, in addition to the difficulties in carrying out phytosanitary treatments. The navel orange orchards have considerable fruit loss, and the early bergamot trees have lower-than-expected fruit sizes due to the effects of drought in the summer. There is little harvest during this period due to the persistent wetness of plants and fruits.  

In the Passo Fundo region, despite the rain, the citrus harvest advanced, with part of the production of the Rubi and Iapar varieties being directed to industry. The Caí bergamot harvest has ended and continues from Ponkan. Cultural treatments and phytosanitary management of late cultivars continue. 

In the Santa Rosa region, the different varieties of citrus are good for consumption. With the recurring rains in the last two months, the size of the fruits has normalized, and the early varieties are now ready for consumption, with a good brix level, such as sanguine. Fruit drop was observed in navel oranges, which resulted in the remaining fruits being above average in size. 

In the administrative region of Emater/RS-Ascar de Lajeado, the harvest of Caí, Ponkan bergamot is progressing and is starting from Pareci. Early oranges, Céu Precoce, Bahia navel oranges, Shamouti and Salustiana, as well as Tahiti acid lime, are being harvested. Phytosanitary treatments of the crop continue. In June it rained more than the normal average for the season; in the week of 20 to 24/06, it rained approximately 90 mm. 

The Caí bergamot harvest is advanced, on average 86%, and should close in the next few weeks. Prices are on average R$23,00/box. of 25 kilos, a reduction of more than R$ 20,00/box. compared to the beginning of May, and R$ 30,00/box. when compared to the beginning of the harvest. It is a very important reduction, which also impacts the income of citrus growers, a reflection of the large supply of fruit during this period. With industrialization starting at the beginning of June, a large amount of Caí is being crushed for juice, reducing supply pressure for table fruits. The average price paid by the industry for Caí varies from R$8,00 per property to R$10,75/box. of 25 kilos in industry. Ponkan bergamot is also advancing in harvest, reaching 70%. The difficulty citrus growers have with Ponkan is due to the reduction in sales due to competition from fruits from other states. The Pareci bergamot is in the initial harvest phase, with only 10% of the production harvested. 

The Céu precocious orange (known as Céu Cedo or Céu Gaúcha) is the orange variety with the earliest harvest – more than 80%. This variety has no acidity and is widely offered to children. The Seleta orange is 75% harvested and is destined for the table and juice. Shamouti and navel Bahia have already reached 60% and 72% of the harvest, both of which are table varieties. Citrus growers are slowly starting to harvest in Valencia. The Tahiti lime harvest is intense, as this is the time of greatest production. The percentage of the crop already harvested is around 65%.  

Summer crops

Corn

The harvest was hampered by the sequence of rainy days, but was technically closed during the period. There are few remaining crops, established from January onwards, with the aim of producing grains for sale. In those where frost did not interrupt maturation, there was an increased incidence of fungus on ears, especially due to the high humidity climatic conditions. In small productions, the harvest continued in a staggered manner and according to the need for corn on the properties. 

Beans 2st harvest

The 2nd harvest was completed in the State, on 20/06, with the harvest of the last crops in the administrative region of Emater/RS-Ascar de Ijuí, conditioned by the rain forecast and the predominance of high humidity for the remainder of the week. Part of the crops were harvested in advance, when there was moisture in the grains above ideal, but preserving the quality, which would be affected by the likely presence of wet grains in the field. The price of the product continues to fall and causes concern for producers. 

winter crops

Wheat 

The estimate for wheat cultivation in the State for the 2022 harvest is 1.413.763 hectares. The estimated productivity is 2.822 kg/ha. There was a predominance of rainy days and high humidity, which hampered the establishment of the crop. Wheat farmers found it very difficult to expand or complete the implementation of the crop, which was only possible in areas with higher topography, such as coxilhas or more drained soils. With the presence of moisture, germination was improved, and soil emergence was uniform. However, the plants have the first leaf of the embryo very thin, yellowish in color and with slow development due to the lack of light. 

Sowing reached 60% of the projected area, with small progress, concentrated only on 20/06, in the northern half, and until 22/06, further south of the state. There is a delay in the implementation of the crop in relation to the producers' initial planning, which causes apprehension due to the advance in the projection of the harvest date, which may compete with the installation time of summer crops. 

Canola

The estimate for canola cultivation in the State for the 2022 harvest is 48.457 hectares. The estimated productivity is 1.885 kg/ha. The culture is in the final phase of implementation.  

White oats

The estimate for white oat cultivation in the State for the 2022 harvest is 392.507 hectares. The estimated productivity is 2.217 kg/ha. The culture is in the implementation phase. 

Barley

The estimated barley cultivation in the State for the 2022 harvest is 36.727 hectares. The estimated productivity is 2.958 kg/ha.