March 15, 2004

Brazil 2003-04 Soy Crop 22% Harvested
 
Brazil's bumper 2003-04 soybean harvest was 22% complete up to March 12, virtually on a par with last year's progress of 21% and the five-year average of 20%, Brazilian agricultural consultants Safras e Mercado said Friday.
 
Harvesting moved forward quickly in the southern state of Parana, the No. 2 soy producer, where 30% of the crop was now collected compared with 14% last week. Fieldwork is on a par with the five-year average.
 
Farmers in Mato Grosso, the top-producing state, had harvested 37% of their crop up till Friday, almost on a par with last year's figure of 36% as rain eased in the state.
 
Safras estimates Brazil's soybean production at 56.6 million metric tons this season, up from 51.4 million tons last year.