2022/23 Safrinha Corn 17% Harvested in Parana

Farmers in the state of Parana had harvested 17% of their 2022/23 safrinha corn as of earlier this week according to the Department of Rural Economics (Deral). This represents an increase of 6% for the week. Of the remaining crop, 19% is filling grain and 81% is maturing. The corn is rated 2% poor, 15% average, and 83% good. Parana is the second leading safrinha corn producing state in Brazil after Mat Grosso.

The quality of the corn is good and the corn yields are within the range of initial expectations. The harvest in general is behind the average pace due to delayed planting and recent wet weather that has kept the grain moisture higher than desired. The forecast is for dryer weather and farmers would prefer to let the corn dry in the field instead of paying for drying, especially with low corn prices.

There is a lack of storage space for the safrinha corn in Parana just as it is across much of Brazil. Brazilian farmers produced a record soybean crop in 2022/23 and a lot of those soybeans are still in storage. Farmers have been slow sellers of their soybeans due to a decline in soybean prices over the past few months.

The safrinha corn harvest in Parana should be completed by mid-September, just in time to start planting the 2023/24 soybean crop. Farmers in Parana are allowed to start planting their soybeans on September 11th, which is the end of the “soybean free” period in the state. Farmers can start planting their 2023/24 first corn crop any time they feel the weather and soil conditions are suitable.

Tags: Brazil, soybeans, yields, crop, harvested, safrinha corn, Parana, corn, planting