Brazil Soy Harvest Slowed by Delayed Planting and Wet Weather

Wet weather across central Brazil continues to slow the 2020/21 Brazilian soybean harvest after it was already going to be slower than normal due to dry weather which delayed planting in September and October. As of late last week, the 2020/21 crop was 15% harvested compared to 31% a year earlier. In many areas of Brazil, this is the slowest soybean harvest in ten years.

In the largest soybean producing state of Mato Grosso, farmers had harvested 34.5% of their soybeans as of late last week according to the Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural Economics (Imea). While this represented an advance of 12% for the week, it is still significantly behind the 74% that was harvested last year at this time.

The second largest producing state is Parana and harvesting in the state is even slower than in Mato Grosso. The Department of Rural Economics (Deral) reported earlier this week that farmers in the state had harvested 8% of their soybeans compared to about 30% a year earlier.

In the state of Goias in central Brazil, farmers started harvesting their irrigated soybeans by the end of January and the crop is currently 14% harvested compared to 29% last year at this time. The soybean harvest in the state is about 20 days slower than average.

The third largest soybean producing state is Rio Grande do Sul where the soybeans are planted much later than in other regions of the country. Less than 1% of the soybeans in the state have been harvested with the vast majority of the soybeans in the pod filling phase.

The soybean harvest in Mato Grosso do Sul, Sao Paulo, Maranhao, and Tocantins is approximately 5% complete. The harvest in Minas Gerais is a little more advanced at 10%.

Soybean & Corn Advisor

Tags: harvest, Brazil, weather, soybeans