| Agriculture

Irregular rains harm Brazilian second-crop corn production

The average yield was 45% lower than initially predicted in C.Vale's area of operation

10.09.2024 | 16:08 (UTC -3)

C. Valley

Brazilian second-crop corn crops did not repeat the performance of 2023, when yields reached record levels in some producing states. Now in 2024, the lack of rainfall and high temperatures have limited the production potential of the crops. National production of the grain fell by almost 13% in the second harvest, falling from 103,3 million tons in the 2023 harvest to 90 million tons this year.

Plantations in Mato Grosso do Sul were the most affected. Average yields were 45% lower than initially predicted in C.Vale’s area of operation, according to Jeferson Salatti, the cooperative’s regional manager in the state. “There was a lack of rain, especially in the southernmost areas. In some municipalities, crop losses exceeded 60%. In the northernmost areas, the reduction was 10 to 15%,” he notes.

In Mato Grosso, the weather was good until part of April, when the rains stopped falling at the end of the month. “Productivity was relatively good and compensated, at least in part, for the reduction in the area occupied by the crop in the 2024 harvest”, says C.Vale regional manager, Renato Rambo. A June survey by IBGE showed a 15% reduction in corn production in Mato Grosso compared to the 2023 season (see tables on this page).

Paraná Crops

In Paraná, average productivity varied greatly, especially by region. Rainfall patterns were quite different between the northern and southern halves of the state. In Braganey, in western Paraná, Douglas and Vítor Durigon cultivated 2.420 hectares of second-season corn with an average productivity of 109 bags/hectare. Douglas expected a better yield. “There was a lack of rain at the beginning of planting,” he explains.

In crop management, the brothers applied two treatments against diseases, three against caterpillars and leafhoppers, and another three against stink bugs. The chemical applications and 800 kilos of fertilizer at the base helped raise the cost to 72 bags/hectare, reveals Vítor Durigon. In the 2023 second crop, the average yield was 8% lower, reaching 101 bags/hectare. Now, the Durigon brothers will wait for possible market opportunities to sell the corn for higher prices than at the beginning of August.