Brazil’s soyabean harvest was 78% complete by 1 April this year, AgriCensus reported local consultancy Agrural as saying on 6 April.
Although this figure is in line with the average for the last five years, it was below the 83% level reached at the same point last year, according to the consultancy.
Agrural added that “the harvest is almost complete in Mato Grosso and entering its final phase in other major producing states”.
Data from Mato Grosso’s agricultural institute IMEA indicated that the harvest was 99.4% complete by 2 April, 1.2% higher than the five-year average and 0.4% below 2019/20 levels.
“The harvest delay can be explained by the severe drought that delayed sowing last year”, IMEA said.
The institute estimated Mato Grosso’s yield as 2.2% lower than last year but the planted area was forecast to be 3.2% higher, with output expected to be 0.9% above last year at 35.7M tonnes.
Yields were also forecast lower year-on-year in Paraná, with the state’s rural economy department Deral estimating a 5.1% decline in yields in there, leading to a 3.3% reduction in output.
Delays in Rio Grande do Sul, which plants and harvests later than other regions, had been even more pronounced this year with producers sowing later than usual and sparse rainfall delaying the harvest. However, the state is expected to produce a good crop, according to Agrural.
In total, Agrural forecast Brazil to produce 133M tonnes of soyabeans this season, AgriCensus reported.
