Brazil to harvest record 178 mln tons of soybeans in MY 2025/26 – Conab

Brazil, the world’s largest soybean producer and exporter, is expected to harvest a record crop of nearly 178 million tonnes in the MY 2025/26, according to the state crop agency Conab in its February report. The increase in output is driven by higher average yields and the solid progress of harvesting across most producing states.

Conab estimates average soybean yields at 3,675 kg per hectare, up 3.8% from last season and marking a new all-time high. Farmers have already begun active harvesting, with 17.4% of the planted area collected as of early February, a pace close to the historical average.

At the same time, the agency slightly lowered its forecast for Brazil’s second corn crop (safrinha) to 109.26 million tonnes, down 1.2 million tonnes from its January projection and 3.5% below last season’s 113.22 million tonnes. The second crop accounts for the bulk of Brazil’s total corn production.

Safrinha corn is planted on the same fields after soybean harvesting, and its exports are mainly concentrated in the second half of the year, when Brazilian supplies compete with U.S. corn on global markets. Conab noted that planting progress will depend directly on February rainfall, which also affects the pace of soybean harvesting.

Planting of the second corn crop accelerated in January, reaching 21.6% of the planned area by early February. This is in line with the average pace of recent seasons and above last year’s level, suggesting farmers are likely to complete sowing within the optimal weather window.

Despite strong production prospects, frequent rains in Brazil’s Central and Northern regions have temporarily slowed soybean removal from fields, although there has been no significant impact on grain quality so far. In Mato Grosso, the country’s largest farming state, growers have already harvested nearly half of the soybean area. China remains the main buyer of Brazilian soybeans, processing them into animal feed.

Tags: corn, Brazil, soybean, crop forecast