April 26, 2004

Brazil's Parana Lowers Soy Estimate
 
Brazil's southern state of Parana, the country's No. 2 soy producer, has lowered its estimate for the 2003-04 soybean crop to 10.01 million metric tons, the state's agriculture department, SEAB, said Friday.
 
In a previous report, last month, the state's agriculture research institute Deral pegged output at 10.2 million tons, down from original estimates of 11.9 million tons, following drought damage in February and March.
 
"With nearly 90% of the crop harvested, the latest estimate is fairly accurate," said Deral agronomist Otmar Hubner.
 
Losses were worst in the west, center-west and north of the state, lowering the average productivity for the state to 2,527 kilograms per hectare, down from original estimates of 3,034 kg/hectare.
 
Last year Parana produced 10.9 million tons of soy.