February 6, 2009
Brazil 08-09 wheat crop seen up 47.7 percent to 6 million tonnes
Brazil's 2008-09 wheat crop should be around 47.7 percent greater than last season's crop, for a total output of 6.03 million tonnes, the National Commodities Supply Corp, or Conab, said Thursday (February 5).
The estimate is steady from Conab's last data on January 8, with the dry weather in the south of Brazil not having an impact on the wheat crop.
Government incentives and high wheat prices have encouraged Brazilian farmers to expand their wheat area to 2.4 million hectares, up from 1.8 million hectares in the 2007-08 crop year.
Brazil is a net importer of wheat, depending on Argentina to supply most of its local demand. The country consumes around 11 million tonnes of wheat annually.
