Early Wheat Harvest Starting in Parana, Brazil

Farmers in the state of Parana in southern Brazil have started to harvest their 2024 winter wheat. According to the Department of Rural Economics for the state of Parana (Deral), 1% of the wheat has been harvested primarily in the northern part of the state.

Deral is rating the wheat as 14% poor, 21% average, and 65% good. The wheat is rated 27% in vegetative development, 25% flowering, 38% filling grain, and 10% maturing.

According to agronomist Carlos Hugo Godinha from Deral, the northern part of the state has suffered the most from dry weather with some areas going up to 45 days without rain. The earliest harvested wheat will have the lowest yields and yields should improve as the harvest progresses. Deral estimates that farmers in the state reduced their wheat acreage by 18% and that the state will produce 3.6 million tons of wheat in 2024.

The wheat harvest pace will pick up in September and October and most of the wheat will be followed by a crop of soybeans. The 2023 wheat crop in the state was hurt by heavy rains at the time of harvest which lowered the yield and the quality of the wheat. Rainfall during harvest is a persistent problem for wheat producers in southern Brazil.

The current price of wheat in the state is R$ 74.00 per sack (approximately $6.00 per bushel), compared to R$ 62.00 per sack when the wheat was planted (approximately $5.05 per bushel. At this price level, farmers should be able to at least cover their costs.

Tags: acreage, Parana, estimates, harvest, price, Brazil, winter wheat, yields