Brazil: Mato Grosso Soybean Acreage to Increase 2.9% in 2022/23

In their second estimate of the 2022/23 soybean crop in Mato Grosso, the Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural Economics (Imea) increased the anticipated soybean acreage in the state. Imea estimates that farmers in the state will plant 11.81 million hectares of soybeans in 2022/23 (29.1 million acres) which is up 2.92% compared to 2021/22.

Mato Grosso is the largest soybean producing state in Brazil and the projected acreage in the state is equal to the combined 2022 soybean acreage of Iowa (10,400,000 acres), Illinois (11,000,000 acres), Indiana (5,900,000 acres) and one-third of Ohio (5,100,000 acres).

Elevated soybean prices are propelling farmers in the state to increase their soybean acreage despite higher production costs. There had been a concern that fertilizer supplies might be inadequate for the 2022/23 crop, but the Brazilian Minister of Agriculture, Marcos Montes, and the CEO of the fertilizer company Mosaic, have assured Brazilian farmers that there will be adequate fertilizer supplies for their 2022/23 Brazilian crops.

Most of the acreage increase will be the result of the conversion of pastures to row crop production especially in northern and northeastern parts of the state. The soybean acreage in northern Mato Grosso is expected to increase 86,700 hectares (214,150 acres) and in northeastern Mato Grosso, it is expected to increase 78,370 hectares (193,500 acres).

Imea is estimating the 2022/23 statewide soybean yield at 58.58 sacks per hectare (52.3 bu/ac), which would be down 1.2% compared to 2021/22. The 2022/23 soybean production in the state is estimated at 41.5 million tons an increase of 1.6%. Farmers in the state will be allowed to start planting their 2022/23 soybeans on September 16th.

Tags: Brazil, soybean, Production, Mato Grosso, crop, yield, acreage, estimates