According to FecoAgro/RS, the reduction could still reach 20% according to data from the technical areas of agricultural cooperatives
The first numbers released by the National Supply Company (Conab) for the Rio Grande do Sul grain harvest, announced this Tuesday, October 10, reflect an alignment with the reality of what is being projected for the 2017/2018 cycle for soybean and corn crops. The assessment was made by the president of the Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (FecoAgro/RS), Paulo Pires.
In corn, the drop in area can vary between 7.6% and 16.4%. As a result, grain production should fall by 11.3% and 19.7%. According to the director, this number could even be higher, since in some regions, according to data from the technical departments of cooperatives, the area reduction exceeds 20%. “We believe that the reduction in area could be even greater, which will generate this drop in grain production in Rio Grande do Sul, which is a shame, as it is a strategic raw material for the production of products of animal origin aimed at the domestic market. and export”, he highlights.
In relation to soybeans, Pires believes that stability should be maintained in the area, which in the Conab study showed growth between 1% and 3%, but with a reduction in productivity potential that could reach 8.3%. For the president of FecoAgro/RS, this is normal, given that in the past period they were exceptional. “The previous year we had a productivity of 55 bags per hectare and this year 50 bags per hectare are expected. It was this very high productivity last year that provided a harvest of almost 19 million tons, it would not be abnormal to have lower numbers.
The forecast for soybean production is around 17.33 and 17.68 million tons, a reduction between 5.5% and 7.4%, while corn production is expected to be around 4.84 and 5.35 million tons, according to Conab.
Source: Agrolink
