Brazil: Mato Grosso’s 2021/22 Corn Yield is 80 Sacks/Hectare (76.6 bu/ac)

The safrinha corn harvest in Mato Grosso, which is Brazil’s largest corn producing state, is complete with a statewide average yield of 80.29 sacks per hectare (76.6 bu/ac) according to the Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural Economics. The yield estimate is down 7.29 sacks per hectare (7 bu/ac) from one month ago because the last corn to be harvested was the corn most impacted by dry weather.

Corn yields in the state were highly variable due to the irregular rainfall starting in late March. In the municipality of Sorriso for example in central Mato Grosso, the average corn yield is estimated at 126 to 127 sacks per hectare (120 to 121 bu/ac), which is an improvement from last year’s yield if 97 to 98 bu/ac (92.5 to 93.5 bu/ac).

Sorriso is the largest corn producing municipality in Brazil with 580,000 hectares of safrinha corn (1,432,600 acres). The soybeans were planted early, which allowed for an early soybean harvest and an early planting of the safrinha corn. The early planting allowed the corn to get through its critical reproductive period before the weather turned dryer in March and April.

In other regions of the state where the safrinha corn was planted later, the end of the summer rains in late March had a negative impact on corn yields.

Current corn prices in Mato Grosso are in the range of R$ 62 per sack (approximately $5.55 per bushel) and farmers in Sorriso have sold approximately 70% of their safrinha corn production.

Farmers in the state are now preparing for the 2022/23 soybean crop which they hope to start planting between September 15 to 20 if there is adequate soil moisture. Farmers are currently doing soil preparation and applying fertilizers.

Tags: dry weather, yield, safrinha corn, harvest, corn, Brazil, soybean, Production, Mato Grosso, crop