Brazilian 2021/22 Safrinha Corn Yields Highly Variable

The safrinha corn harvest in Brazil is approaching one-quarter complete and farmers continue to report highly variable yields due to irregular rainfall and pest pressures.

Parana – The safrinha corn in Parana was 45% filling grain, 55% mature, and 6% harvested as of earlier this week according to the Department of Rural Economics (Deral). The corn was rated 7% poor, 21% average, and 72% good.

The initial safrinha corn harvest has been slowed due to high grain moisture especially in the west, center-west, and southeastern regions of the state. Reports from those regions along with the southern region of the state, indicate that the early corn yields are below expectations due mainly to a severe attack of corn leafhoppers.

In the northern part of the state, the weather was better during the growing season and there were fewer corn leafhoppers, so the yields and grain quality are within expectations.

In the municipality of Campo Mourao in western Parana, they have harvested 2% of the corn with average yields expected to be 100 sacks per hectare (95.4 bu/ac). The corn encountered some problems with light frosts and corn leafhoppers, but it survived largely intact. Farmers should be able to turn a profit on their 2021/22 safrinha corn after a disappointing 2021/22 soybean crop and a disastrous 2020/21 safrinha corn crop.

Mato Grosso – In the municipality of Lucas do Rio Verde in south-central Mato Grosso, the safrinha corn harvest is 70% complete and yields are in the range of 130 to 150 sacks per hectare (124 to 143 bu/ac). The weather was ideal during the growing season with limited insect and disease pressure.

Corn prices have declined from R$ 70 per sack (approximately $6.25 per bushel) pre harvest to the current R$ 60 per sack (approximately $5.35 per bushel). Many grain silos are still full of soybeans, so a lot of grain elevators are temporarily storing the corn in open-air piles. This is a common practice in Mato Grosso since it is now the dry season and very little if any rain is expected before sometime in September.

Tags: leafhoppers, harvest, Brazil, rainfall, yields, crop, safrinha corn