The 2024/2025 summer harvest in Santa Catarina promises to be better than the previous one for soybean, rice, beans, corn, apples and bananas. This is what analysts from Epagri's Center for Socioeconomics and Agricultural Planning (Cepa) point out. They presented the initial estimates for the harvest in an online event. The event was attended by the Secretary of State for Agriculture and Livestock, Valdir Colatto, and the president of Epagri, Dirceu Leite.
According to João Alves, analyst of Socioeconomics and Rural Development at Epagri/Cepa, the growth in productivity and consequently in production compared to the previous harvest is due to the prospect of a harvest with fewer climate events. This is because the 2023/2024 harvest did not have good results due to excessive rain in the last quarter of 2023 and the first of 2024.
The Secretary of State for Agriculture and Livestock, Valdir Colatto, points out that Santa Catarina is recognized for its production diversification. “We need to provide producers with tools for this process, to ensure more income and quality of life in the countryside. The role of the State is to guide how planting will be done, taking into account the climate variations that may occur and the market behavior. The data from Epagri/Cepa guide planting planning and increase harvest expectations,” highlights Secretary Colatto.
Epagri President Dirceu Leite also emphasizes the importance of harvest data to the production sector. “This is reliable information that helps farmers and the public sector make decisions. These numbers support the State Government in launching policies to encourage producers,” Dirceu emphasizes.
Bruna Parente Porto, Socioeconomics and Rural Development analyst at Epagri/Cepa, explains that the estimates presented are initial and are based on the history of Santa Catarina's harvests and on the survey of producers' planting intentions. This information is assessed through interviews conducted by technicians spread throughout all regions of Santa Catarina.
According to Epagri/Cepa manager Edilene Steinwandter, throughout the harvest, Epagri/Cepa monitors and updates the agricultural calendar weekly and the estimated data monthly. The updated information is released through the Agricultural Bulletin and on the websites of the Santa Catarina Agricultural Observatory and Infoagro.
Santa Catarina is expected to produce more than 1,2 million tons of rice in the 2024/2025 harvest, which represents an increase of 9,6% compared to last year. According to Epagri/Cepa analyst Gláucia Padrão, crop productivity should be 8,7 tons per hectare, an increase of around 10%.
The cultivated area of rice remains stable at 145.294 hectares. Of these, 11% have already been cultivated. The main producing regions are Araranguá and Criciúma, in the South, and Joinville, in the North of SC.
In SC, the new bean harvest is expected to increase the area by 3,5%, reaching 28.766 hectares. “We should reach a production of 55 thousand tons, more than 15% compared to the previous harvest”, says Epagri/Cepa analyst João Alves. Productivity should be 11,34% higher, reaching an average of almost two thousand kilos per hectare.
Bean cultivation in Santa Catarina occurs in the first and second harvests. In the latter, cultivation begins in July/August. So far, approximately 1% of the expected amount has been planted, as the cold weather delayed planting operations. The crops are concentrated in the regions of Canoinhas, Campos Lages and Xanxerê.
According to Epagri/Cepa analyst Haroldo Tavares Elias, the area planted with corn has been decreasing in recent years due to price, corn leafhopper attacks and an increase in the area planted with soybeans. For corn grain, the estimated area is 268 thousand hectares, a decrease of 9%.
Corn grain production is expected to increase by 12,38% compared to the previous year, reaching a volume of over 2,2 million tons. Productivity is estimated at 8,4 thousand kilos per hectare, an increase of 23%. Cultivation is concentrated in the micro-regions of Joaçaba, Chapecó and Canoinhas.
The area planned for corn silage is 219.360 hectares, a reduction of around 6,6%. Productivity is expected to increase by 21% and reach 42 thousand kilos per hectare. With this, production should reach 9,2 million tons, an increase of 13% compared to the 2023/2024 harvest. Cultivation is concentrated in the regions of Chapecó, São Miguel do Oeste and Concórdia.
According to Haroldo, Santa Catarina is expected to harvest more than 3 million tons of soybeans, which represents an increase of 12,77% compared to the last harvest. The area should be 1,79% larger, reaching 766.267 hectares. The regions with the largest share of planted area are Canoinhas, Xanxerê and Curitibanos.
For this harvest, Santa Catarina is expected to produce 763.647 tons of bananas, including the caturra and prata varieties. This represents an increase of almost 17% compared to the previous year. According to analyst Rogério Goulart Júnior, the forecast is that the crop will reach an area of 28.466 hectares, an increase of 2,6%. Productivity should be around 28,8 kilos per hectare, an increase of 13,8%. The main producing regions are Joinville and Blumenau, in the North, and Araranguá, in the South of the state.
Santa Catarina is the largest apple producer in the country. For the next harvest, Epagri/Cepa estimates production of over 660 thousand tons, an increase of 56% compared to the previous harvest and a 24% recovery. According to analyst Rogério Goulart Júnior, this number is due to the increase in the harvested area – new areas will begin production for the next harvest – and the loss of another 20% of the previous harvest due to the rains.
There are 17,8 thousand hectares of cultivated fruit throughout the state, with a productivity of around 37 thousand kilos per hectare. Production is concentrated in the micro-regions of Campos de Lages and Joaçaba.
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