Winter harvest: Epagri/Cepa updates estimates and shows increase in onion planted area in Santa Catarina

Updated data from the Center for Socioeconomics and Agricultural Planning (Epagri/Cepa) indicate that the onion planted area in Santa Catarina is estimated at 19 thousand hectares, and not 18,4 thousand hectares, as was initially determined and published on the Observatório Agro website Santa Catarina. Information was published in the August Agricultural Bulletin. 

The area planted with garlic was updated downwards: the initial estimate was that the crop would occupy approximately 1,17 thousand hectares in the 2023/2024 harvest, but the numbers point to an area of ​​995 hectares. Wheat saw a 2% reduction in the estimated planted area, which would represent a drop of more than 27% compared to the previous year.

Onion, garlic and wheat are some of the winter crops monitored by Epagri/Cepa. According to the bulletin, crops are developing well so far. Regarding onions, around 80% of the area estimated for cultivation in the 2023/2024 harvest has already been planted and production is estimated at more than 568 thousand tons.

In garlic cultivation, the reduction in planted area also results in a drop in production of almost 1,3 tons in relation to the volume initially forecast, dropping to 10,7 thousand tons.

The initial estimate for the wheat area was a reduction of 1,6% compared to the previous harvest. With the update, the reduction was 2%. The current forecast is that the 2023/2024 harvest will be slightly smaller than the previous one, with a 1% decrease in production volume.

Until the last week of July, around 94% of the area destined for wheat planting in this harvest was in the vegetative development phase and 6% had already reached the flowering phase. Regarding the conditions of the crops for this grain, 99,5% were evaluated as good and only 0,5% as in average condition. The average price received by wheat producers in Santa Catarina continued to fall in July. The reduction was 0,24%, with a monthly average of R$69,95 per 60 kg bag. In the annual comparison, in nominal terms, prices received in July this year are around 35% below those recorded in the same month of 2022.

Check the information on the other products supported by Epagri/Cepa:

Banana

Between June and July 2023, caturra banana producer prices recovered with an appreciation of 2,2%. The silver banana suffered a devaluation of 0,5% due to the reduction in demand due to competition with other fruits of the season and the presence of chilling in the fruits, which are injuries caused by excessive cold. In the state wholesale market, in comparison with the month of July of the previous year, prices remained valued at 8,1% for caturra bananas and 12,5% ​​for silver bananas. In the first half of the year, banana production in Santa Catarina accounted for 8,9% of the total in the wholesale market at national supply centers, an increase of 48,1% compared to the same period in 2022. The negotiated value reached R$79,1 millions.

Rice

The 2022/23 harvest is closed in Santa Catarina. Contrary to initial expectations, the harvest closed with an average productivity 1,6% higher than that observed in the 2021/22 harvest, reaching the highest mark recorded in the state (8.621kg per hectare). Prices for rice producers showed an upward trend from the month of July and the first half of August, both in Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. It is estimated that approximately 92% of the production of the 2022/23 harvest has already been been sold in the State.

Bean

In July, the average monthly price received by Santa Catarina's carioca bean producers closed at R$161,35 per 60kg bag, a reduction of practically 30%. On the other hand, for black beans, the average price increased by 6,44%, with the monthly average at R$208,20 per 60kg bag. In comparison, the average price of a bag of carioca beans, in nominal terms, is 39% below what was paid in July 2022. For black beans, there was an annual increase of approximately 16%. An important aspect that contributes to the drop in prices paid to bean producers is the low demand for the product. With each passing year, more Brazilians stop eating beans daily.

Corn

In the State, producer prices showed an increase of 1,2% in average monthly prices in relation to the month of June, reversing a sequence of declines since January. The soybean/corn price relationship constitutes one of the conditions in the decision of the next planting by producers. At the moment, the relationship is favorable to soybeans; however, the corn market is complex and dynamic: it is affected by a series of factors that can change over time, with the potential to generate a more positive picture for the producer. Cereal exports from Brazil, in August, could reach volumes close to 10 million tons, which brings with it an expectation of rising prices on the domestic market in the second half of the year.

Soybean

The 2022/23 Santa Catarina harvest has definitive numbers: total production reached a volume close to 3 million tons, considered the largest harvest recorded in the legume state. The growing cultivated area and favorable climatic conditions during the crop development cycle contributed to this performance. In Brazil, the confirmation of a record harvest in 2022/23 of 155 million tons put pressure on soybean prices on the domestic market in the first half of the year. However, in July, there was a change in the downward movement. In the State, prices increased by 6,6% compared to the previous month. Record exports for the year and demand from the biodiesel industry in July and August boost prices.

 Access the full August edition of the Agricultural Bulletin here.