May 20, 2008

AgRural lowers Brazil soy crop estimates by 1.4 million tonnes on lower yields
 

Lower yields and acreage have prompted Brazilian farm consultancy AgRural to lower estimates for Brazil's 2007-08 soy crop.  

Farmers can expect to harvest 2.3 percent less soy in the 2007-08 season than was estimated in March, according to AgRural. The newest estimate calls for a 61.581-million-tonne harvest, down from the previous forecast of 63.003 million tonnes.

Soy crops in the southern states were hit hard by the effects of La Nina, which caused uncharacteristically dry weather early on in the soy planting period last October.

Rio Grande do Sul crops will likely yield 34 60-kilogramme bags per hectare, compared with a previous estimate of 40 bags.

Parana and Mato Grosso do Sul suffered the greatest reduction in planted area. Crop areas are expected to be 4.2 million and 1.78 million hectares, respectively, against the 4.38 million and 1.82 million hectares AgRural had projected in March.

Meanwhile, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais and Bahia, all located further north, are expected to establish new productivity records in the 2007-08 season.

Mato Grosso farmers are expected to harvest 53 60-kilogram bags per hectare, two bags over the March estimate, and in Minas Gerais, farmers are expected to reap an average 48 bags per hectare, up from the 47 bags

AgRural had previously forecast. Bahian farmers are expected to harvest 50 bags per hectare in the 2007-08 season.