First Corn Crop in Western Bahia 85% Harvested

The harvest of the first corn crop in Bahia in northeastern Brazil reached 85% this week according to the Irrigated Agriculture Association of Bahia (Aiba). Corn is one of the most important crops in western Bahia where farmers planted 180,000 hectares in 2022/23 (445,000 acres). There was ample rainfall during the growing season and corn yields are expected to be in the range of 185 sacks per hectare (176.5 bu/ac), which is up 30% compared to last year. The total corn production in western Bahia is estimated at 1.78 million tons.

Corn production in Bahia is important for northeastern Brazil which has a deficiency in corn production. Small livestock producers in northeastern Brazil cannot produce enough corn to feed their small herds of goats and dairy cattle so the government subsidizes the importation of corn from west-central Brazil where there is a surplus of corn.

Conab purchases corn in Mato Grosso for example then pays to transport the corn to northeastern Brazil and sells the corn to small family farmers at a discount. Therefore, the more corn that can be produced in western Bahia, the less corn that must be imported into the region.

Tags: Brazil, Production, yields, first corn crop, Bahia, harvest