SC Harvest 2024/25: corn productivity increases by 40% in the state

The 2024/25 summer corn harvest in Santa Catarina is consolidating itself as one of the most productive in history. Even with a reduction of more than 13% in the planted area, the state recorded an increase of more than 23% in production compared to the previous harvest. The highlight is productivity, which had a significant jump of more than 40%, reaching 9.717 kg per hectare — the highest ever recorded in the state. The data is included in the Agricultural Bulletin for the month of April, which is available on the websites of the Santa Catarina Agricultural Observatory and Infoagro.

According to Haroldo Tavares Elias, Socioeconomic and Rural Development Analyst at Epagri/Cepa, the good results are the result of the increased use of technologies in the field, qualified management and the lower incidence of corn leafhoppers during the crop cycle. “If prices remain at attractive levels, there is a possibility of reversing this downward trend in the area cultivated with corn,” says Haroldo.

Corn price rises 2,74% and reaches R$71,15 per bag in SC

In the market, corn prices rose sharply in the first quarter of 2025. In March, the average state price rose 2,74% compared to February, reaching R$71,15 per bag — the highest value in the last two years. However, in early April, prices began to decline, with improved weather conditions favoring the development of the second harvest in the country.

Still, the combination of good prices and high productivity may encourage producers to reclaim part of the corn area lost in recent years, when the crop was losing ground mainly to soybeans. “If prices remain at attractive levels, there is a possibility of reversing this downward trend in the area cultivated with corn,” says Haroldo.

With this result, Santa Catarina and Paraná stand out nationally with productivity close to 10 tons per hectare, matching the levels of the United States, a world reference in the crop. The scenario continues to be influenced by low domestic stocks, uncertainties about the second harvest and instability in the international market, factors that should maintain price volatility over the coming months.

Agricultural Bulletin April/2025

The Agricultural Bulletin is a monthly publication by the Center for Socioeconomics and Agricultural Planning (Epagri/Cepa) that gathers information on the harvests and markets of the main agricultural products in the state (check out the full April bulletin here). Below are other highlights of the Agricultural Bulletin:

Grains: soybeans

In the current harvest, surveys carried out by Epagri/Cepa indicate a 2,2% increase in the planted area, reaching 769,5 thousand hectares in the first harvest. The expected average productivity should increase by 15,8%, reaching 3.993 kg/ha. Productivity was a positive surprise during the Soybean Harvest Round held in the northern plateau in March 2025. In the Canoinhas and Mafra region, productivity above 5 tons per hectare was recorded. As a result, an 18,35% increase in production and harvested volume of approximately 3,07 million tons of first-harvest soybeans is expected (Table 1). Irregular rainfall in January and early February 1 affected crops in some regions; even so, productivity is considered the highest recorded in the historical series monitored by Epagri/Cepa.

In relation to the market, soybean prices paid to producers have shown successive drops since November 2024, and in March 2025 they stabilized at R$124,00/60kg bag. The beginning of April indicates a continuation of the price reduction in the first 10 days. Confirmation of good production in Brazil in the current harvest is one of the relevant factors in the formation of prices at the beginning of the year. The tariff dispute between the US and China may favor prices in Brazil.

Grains: rice

Rice prices in Santa Catarina continued to fall in March 2025, following the trend of the last quarter of 2024, registering a 25% drop in real terms compared to the previous year. The decline is mainly due to the good performance of the harvest, which shows an increase in production and productivity, driven by good weather conditions and investments in technology. The current harvest saw an increase in production and productivity, with a record productivity estimated at 8,73 tons per hectare, an increase of 9,85% compared to the previous harvest. Regarding foreign trade, rice exports from Santa Catarina were 18% lower in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the previous year. Imports also fell by 60,17% in the same period.

Grains: beans

In the Santa Catarina market in March, carioca bean prices closed higher due to the reduced supply of good quality product. For those producers who managed to hold on to their production, the current scenario is quite favorable for sales. Meanwhile, black bean prices remain under pressure due to the high supply of product from the first harvest and the beginning of the second harvest in the state. The average monthly price received by Santa Catarina producers of carioca beans had a positive variation of 18,8%, closing the month at R$ 162,13/60kg bag. For black beans, there was a reduction of 0,18%, closing the month at R$ 169,01/60kg bag. Compared to February 2024, the average price of a bag of black beans is 50,0% lower. For carioca beans, there was a reduction of 34,3% in the annual variation.

The Santa Catarina first-crop bean harvest is technically over, with over 99% of the planted area harvested. Compared to the previous harvest, the planted area grew by 25,8%, while average productivity increased by 18,3%. As a result, a 48,8% increase in production is expected, representing a harvested volume of 71 thousand tons of first-crop beans. For the second-crop beans, March was marked by a dry period. Approximately 36% of the planted area is in the flowering phase and 56% in the vegetative development phase. The lack of rain is a concern for technicians and producers, and we should see a reduction in average productivity. With only about 1% of the planted area harvested, our estimates indicate a 6,3% reduction in the planted area and 3,9% in average productivity. As a result, we should see a 9,9% reduction in production, with an expected harvest of 58 thousand tons of second-crop beans.

Fruit growing: apple

At Ceasa/SC, between February and March 2025, there was a 1,1% appreciation in the average price of apples, but with a 10,4% depreciation compared to March of the previous year. Gala apples contributed with a 4,2% depreciation in prices, between February and March, and a 17,9% depreciation compared to March 2025. Fuji apples participated with a 6,0% appreciation between February and March, but with a 2,9% depreciation compared to March of last year.

At Ceagesp, the price of apples from Santa Catarina depreciated by 3,1% between February and March of this year, with lower supply. Prices for apples from Santa Catarina are up 2,2% compared to March of the previous year. Prices for imported apples, between February and March, are down 3,0%, and remain 6,1% above the prices for fruit from Santa Catarina at Ceagesp, due to the low stock of the national fruit. At Ceasaminas, there was a 9,9% depreciation in the prices of fruit from Santa Catarina compared to March of the previous year and a 3,2% depreciation between February and March 2025. In the Fraiburgo/SC region, between February and March 2025, producer prices for Gala apples depreciated by 9,8% and those for Fuji apples by 11,0% compared to the previous month. Between March and April, the trend is for Fuji apple prices to depreciate by 2,7% and Gala apple prices to depreciate by 1,5%. With the Fuji apple harvest, there was an increase in the regional supply of the fruit. In the São Joaquim/SC region, between February and March 2025, producer prices for Fuji apples depreciated by 14,6% and Gala apples appreciated by 10,3%. Between March and April, the trend is for Fuji apple prices to continue to depreciate by 2,5% and Gala apples to appreciate by 1,4%. With the increase in the Fuji apple harvest, Gala, with a lower supply, appreciated in the region. The expectation for the 2024/25 harvest, in relation to the previous one, is a recovery of 28,8% in state production. For Fuji apples, with 59,8% of the estimated production, a recovery of 49,7% is expected in relation to the previous harvest. In Gala apples, with 38,4% of estimated production, there is an expectation of a 7,0% recovery compared to the 2023/24 cycle. In early apples, with 1,8% of estimated production, an increase of 2,7% is expected in relation to the previous harvest.

Vegetables: garlic

The price paid to producers in Santa Catarina in March was R$16,62/kg, a small reduction compared to recent months. April began with a 3,73% reduction in prices compared to the average price in March, R$16,00/kg. Despite the price reduction, the garlic harvest in Santa Catarina was positive and profitable for producers.

The garlic harvest in Santa Catarina has been completed, with 95% of the crops considered to be in good condition. Production is estimated at 7,23 tons, with a productivity of 10,96 t/ha, a significant recovery compared to the previous harvest.

Brazilian garlic imports in March totaled 15,97 thousand tons with a disbursement of US$22,45 million (FOB). The main supplying countries were Argentina with 11,44 thousand tons and China with 4,43 thousand tons. The wholesale price at the main supply centers was R$21,62/kg, an increase of 3,20% compared to February. However, April began with a reduction in prices, falling to R$20,83/kg.

Vegetables: onion

In March and early April, according to Epagri/Cepa monitoring, it remained below the average production cost estimated for the state, which is R$1,68/kg. The average producer price for box 3 onions in March was R$25,01/20kg bag, an increase of 6,69% compared to the average price in February. In early April, there was a drop in prices, falling to R$20,42/20kg bag, due to the supply that remains high. In March, the average wholesale price was R$53,28/20kg bag, an increase of 2,12% compared to February. April opened with prices down 3,84% compared to March, falling to R$51,23/20kg bag (high supply). The 2024/25 Santa Catarina harvest was fully harvested. The condition of the crops was 83% good, 9% considered average and 8% considered poor. Production is estimated at 556,4 thousand tons. In the first quarter of 2025, 21.966 tons were imported, corresponding to only 28,54% of the quantity imported in the same period last year, with a disbursement of US$4,05 million and an average price (FOB) of US$0,21/kg.