Soybean production in Brazil in the 2017/18 harvest is expected to fall 3.5 percent compared to 2016/17, but the area tends to reach a new record, in the 12th consecutive season of increased planting of the oilseed, Céleres projected , which revised its estimates for culture this Tuesday.
According to the consultancy, the area to be sown should total 34.7 million hectares, an increase of 0.6 percent compared to the last survey and 2.5 percent over the previous cycle.
The Céleres number is in line with the most recent Reuters survey with consultancies and market institutions on the 2017/18 harvest and also within the range projected this Tuesday by the National Supply Company (Conab).
“Sowing continues to be limited by insufficient rainfall and soil moisture in most of the Midwest. Many producers expect higher levels of rain to start or continue activities”, highlighted the consultancy.
“In the south of the country, planting is also delayed, however, the rains in the last week favored the advancement of field work.”
In relation to productivity, it should reach 3.16 tons per hectare, a drop of 6 percent compared to 2016/17, when extremely favorable weather conditions benefited crops, but in line with the average.
As a result, the production considered by Céleres for 2017/18 is 109.8 million tons.
CORN
Céleres predicts that, due to “discouraging” prices, the area planted with corn in the first harvest, harvested in the summer, will fall to 5.43 million hectares, a drop of 3 percent compared to the previous estimate and 15.3 percent compared to 2016/17.
Based on historical summer crop yields, Céleres also said that productivity will reach 5.18 tonnes per hectare (down 1.7 percent).
Thus, first-crop corn production is now estimated by Céleres at 28.1 million tons in 2017/18, a decline of 3 percent compared to the last monitoring and almost 17 percent compared to last season.
Source: Agrolink
