2020/21 Brazil Soybeans 15% Harvested vs. 31% Last Year

The weather last week in Brazil was wet across the northern areas and dryer across the southern areas and the forecast is calling for more of the same this week. The weather pattern seems to be locked in place, at least for the time being.

While the forecast is dryer for southern Brazil, I am not worried yet about the soybeans in Rio Grande do Sul, but the soybeans in the state are some of the latest developing soybeans in Brazil and they will need additional rainfall in a week or two to avoid moisture stress.

The soybean harvest in Brazil was 15% as of late last week compared to 31% last year according to AgRural. The Brazilian soybean harvest continues to be the slowest in ten years.

Mato Grosso Soybeans – The soybeans in Mato Grosso were 34.5% harvested late last week compared to 73% last year and 58% average according to the Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural Economics (Imea). This represented an advance of 12% for the week. The soybean harvest is 38% behind last year’s pace. The most advanced harvest is in the western part of the state where 49.5% of the soybeans have been harvested. The slowest harvest is in the south-central part where 20% of the soybeans have been harvested.

In the municipality of Claudia, which is located in northern Mato Grosso, farmers had harvested 20 to 30% of their soybeans until heavy rains last week paralyzed harvest activity. Soybean yields were good, in the range of 70 to 75 sacks per hectare (62.5 to 67 bu/ac) and farmers are hoping they will stay good once harvesting resumes. The soybeans that have been harvested are higher in moisture than desired, but there have not been any major quality problems thus far.

Farmers in the municipality have forward contracted the majority of their anticipated soybeans in the range of R$ 75.00 to R$ 80.00 per sack (approximately $6.45 to $6.85 per bushel), which is much lower than the current price of R$ 140.00 per sack (approximately $12.00 per bushel). Farmers are hoping for good yields so they will have supplies of soybeans to sell at the higher prices.

Parana Soybeans – The soybean harvest in Parana was 3% complete earlier last week with 30% of the crop approaching maturity. The current dryer weather in the state will allow farmers to ramp up their harvest pace. The soybean in the state are rated 5% poor, 19% average, and 76% good according to the Department of Rural Economics (Deral).

The president of the Soybean and Corn Producers Association of Parana (Aprosoja/PR) is anxious for the harvest pace to pick up so they can get a better handle on losses caused by the pod abortion in the state. The soybeans that were planted after October 14th were impacted by the excessive rainfall during the month of January, but the extent of the losses is unknown. The return of dryer weather is also going to allow farmers to apply control measures for soybean rust and pests.

Rio Grande do Sul Soybeans – The weather in Rio Grande do Sul has turned dryer and a little warmer as the soybeans are in the midst of filling pods. I don’t think the dry weather is a problem yet, but the crop will need additional moisture within a week or two to avoid moisture stress.

Mato Grosso do Sul Soybeans – In the municipality of Douradina, which is located in southern Mato Grosso do Sul, farmers have harvest approximately 10% of their soybeans. These were the first planted soybeans that suffered from dry weather during pod filling. As a result, yields are in the range of 40 to 50 sacks per hectare (35.7 to 44.7 bu/ac). The later planted soybeans are expected to yield 55 to 60 sacks per hectare (49 to 53.6 bu/ac). The harvest pace will now accelerate with the onset of dryer weather.

Soybeans & Corn Advisor

Tags: Brazil, soybeans, harvested