2023/24 Brazil Soybeans 62% Harvested vs. 64% Average

Rainfall last week in Brazil favored northern and southern areas with some of the heaviest amounts in southern Rio Grande do Sul. South-central Brazil received lighter amounts with elevated temperatures. The forecast for this week is calling for active rains in far southern Brazil with increases chances of rain in south-central Brazil.

The 2023/24 Brazil soybeans were 62% harvested as of late last week compared to 62% last year and 64.6% average according to Patria AgroNegocios. This represents an advance of 7% for the week. The harvest pace has been slowing down in recent weeks as the harvest moved into the later planted soybeans and wet weather slowed the early harvest in northeastern Brazil. The last areas to be harvested will be Rio Grande do Sul in far southern Brazil and northeastern Brazil.

The 2023/24 Brazil soybean estimate was left unchanged this week at 145.0 million tons, but there is a very wide range of estimates in Brazil. The crop is approximately two thirds harvested and there is still a difference of about 20 million tons from the highest to the lowest estimate. The USDA, which is one of the highest estimates because they are using a greater acreage and a higher yield (see prior article).

Farmers in Mato Grosso had harvested 95.6% of their soybeans as of late last week compared to 96.5% last year and 96.2% average. This represents an advance of 5.1% for the week. Below is the soybean harvest progress in Mato Grosso (red line) from the Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural Economics (Imea).

The soybeans in Parana were 73% harvested as of earlier last week. The soybeans were rated 3% poor, 25% average, and 72% good. In the municipality of Doutor Camargo in west-central Parana, the soybean harvest is essentially complete with yields down 30% to 40% and in the range of 45 to 50 sacks per hectare (40 to 44.7 bu/ac)

The soybean harvest started last week in Rio Grande do Sul and the crop is 3.5% harvested. Emater is estimating that the statewide soybean yield will be 3,329 kg/ha (49.6 bu/ac). Soybean rust is a localized problem in the state especially where spraying has been delayed or farmers used fewer effective fungicides.

In the municipality of Sao Borja in southern Rio Grande do Sul, recent rains have helped the late planted soybeans recover from a dry period between mid-January to mid-February. A few soybean fields have been harvested with dryland yields in the range of 40 sacks per hectare (35.7 bu/ac) and irrigated fields in the range of 60 sacks per hectare (53.6 bu/ac).

In their March Crop Report, Conab estimated the soybean yield in Sao Paulo at 3,050 kg/ha (45.4 bu/ac), which is down 19% compared to previous years. Farmers planted 1.29 million hectares of soybeans and the state is expected to produce 3.95 million tons of soybeans.

In the municipality of Candido Mota in southern Sao Paulo just north of the border with Parana, soybean yields are down 45% to 50% with yields averaging approximately 25 sacks per hectare (22 bu/ac).

Tags: harvested, Brazil, rainfall, estimate, soybeans, crop