Weather may delay Brazil’s second corn crop harvest

Adverse weather conditions could slow the harvest of Brazil’s second corn crop (safrinha). According to LSEG analysts, southern regions of the country are expected to experience unusually high temperatures and heavy rainfall over the next two weeks, creating additional risks for completing the harvest, Reuters reports.

Meteorologists forecast temperatures across most of Brazil to remain 2–6°C above the long-term average. In the country’s far south, rainfall is expected to exceed normal levels by 40–160 mm, while other regions are likely to receive 5–30 mm less precipitation than usual.

Excessive moisture in key corn-growing areas could delay field operations and slow the safrinha harvest, which accounts for a significant share of Brazil’s grain export potential. Any delays could also affect the pace of grain shipments to global markets.

Meanwhile, weather conditions in Argentina are expected to be more favorable for winter wheat. Rainfall over the next two weeks is forecast to be 10–50 mm above normal, with northeastern regions receiving 80–110 mm more than average. These conditions should benefit crop development, although a brief period of cooler weather is expected toward the end of the forecast period.

Tags: crop forecast, corn, Brazil, crop condition