Brazil slows pace of intensive expansion of soybean acreage

Brazil, the world’s largest soybean producer, will increase production of this oilseed crop to 176.5 million tons in the 2025/26 agricultural season. This forecast was presented by the consulting company AgResource.

The expected increase will be about 3% compared to the 2024/2025 season. At the same time, the expansion of sown areas is projected at only 2% – which will be the lowest figure in the last five years. The total area under soybeans in Brazil will reach 48.7 million hectares.

The slowdown in the rate of expansion of sown areas indicates that Brazilian agribusiness has entered a new phase of development, the publication notes. If previously production growth was ensured primarily by the development of new lands, now the key driver is the intensification of production. Brazilian farmers are betting on the introduction of advanced technologies, such as the use of genetically modified seeds resistant to drought and pests, precision farming technologies and digitalization.

The increase in soybean yield is planned to be achieved by optimizing crop rotations with the safrinha corn crop and efficient resource management.

The corn harvest in the 2025/26 season will be 138.4 million tons, which is 0.7% more than in the previous season. The second corn crop, which in Brazil is sown after the soybean harvest in the same fields, is expected to be 110.4 million tons, which is 2% more than the previous year. The total area of ​​corn (first and second crops) will increase by 1.3%.

Tags: corn, Brazil, soybean, sown area