Brazil: Soybean Harvest in Mato Grosso Off to a Slow Start

The 2024/25 soybean harvest in Mato Grosso was 0.7% as of late last week compared to 6.4% last year and 2.3% average according to the Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural Economics (Imea). This represents an advance of 0.6% for the week. Most of the soybeans harvested thus far are irrigated soybeans that were planted in early September. The delayed start to harvesting is primarily due to the delayed planting last September and early October when farmers did not want to risk planting in dry soil. The crop development is also being extended somewhat due to wet weather, overcast conditions and a lack of sunshine.

The mid-north region is 1.1% harvested with the North region 0.7% harvested and the west region 0.6% harvested. Imea estimates that farmers in the state planted 12.66 million hectares of soybeans in 2024/25 (31.2 million acres). Mato Grosso is the largest soybean producing state in Brazil followed by the state of Parana.

Farmers in the state are keeping a close eye on the nearly constant wet weather. It has not delayed the start of harvesting yet because very few soybeans are ready for harvesting, but that could change within ten days when early planted dryland soybeans start to mature. A few farmers who have harvested irrigated soybeans in the state are reporting yields below expectations which they attribute to overcast skies and a lack of sunshine.

Tags: yields, harvest, soybeans, Mato Grosso