March 12, 2012

For the 2012 cereals, vegetables and oilseeds crop, the Brazilian Census Bureau's (IBGE) second forecast is 1.5% less to 157.5 million tonnes than last year's record high crop of 159.9 million tonnes and 0.8% lower than the first forecast published in January 2012 (158.7 million tonnes).

The projection for planted area in 2012 is of 50.3 million hectares - 3.4% more than planted area in 2011.

Brazil's three main crops soy, sweet corn and rice, which together account for 90.7% of total output, are seen occupying 83.1% of planted area this year. In terms of volume, rice and soy output are seen falling 13.2% and 9.3%, respectively, against 2011, while sweet corn is seen rising 12.8%.

The forecast for the summer crop (cotton, peanut, rice, beans, castor oilseed, sweet corn and soy) is of 119.5 million tonnes - 6.6% lower than in 2011 (127.9 million tonnes).