April 9, 2009

Soy farmers in Brazil's Mato Grosso state will see rain hindering the final stage of the harvest this week, weather service Somar said Wednesday (Apr 8).

Mato Grosso, Brazil's No.1 soy producing state, will see continued rain in towns such as Alta Floresta, Sinop and Primaveira do Leste causing delays to the final stage of harvest, Antonio Marco de Santos, an agronomist at Somar said.

Santos said Sinop, for example, will receive around 70 millimeters of rain between April 8 and April 12 and then 80 millimeters from April 13 to April 17. Temperatures will range between 21 and 30 degrees Celsius.

Seneri Paludo, an analyst at Mato Grosso's Agricultural Economy Institute, or Imea, warned the recent rains may impact the quality of the beans in Mato Grosso. He noted, however that it's too early to assess the damage.

Paludo said Mato Grosso's farmers - which should produce 17 million tonnes of soy this year - have already harvested over 95 percent of their crop.

In the south of Brazil, soy farmers have seen 15 days without significant rainfall in Parana, the No.2 soy-producing state, and Rio Grande do Sul, the No.3 soy producer, according to Somar.

Santos said more than a light sprinkling of rain is unlikely in the next 10 days in Parana and Rio Grande do Sul.

"This is helping the pace of the harvest," he said.

Agricultural consultancy Celeres Monday said Parana had harvested 82 percent of its soy as of Friday, while Rio Grande do Sul, traditionally the last state to harvest, has gathered just 10 percent of its soy.

Brazil is the world's No.2 soy producer after the US.