Brazil 2009-10 soy harvest edges up

Brazil's 2009-10 soy crop forecast rose to a record 68.71 million tonnes from the 67.86 million tonnes projected in May, crop supply agency Conab said Tuesday (June 8).

Brazil harvested 57.17 million tonnes of soy in the 2008-09 (Sept-Oct) crop. Conab trimmed its view of the country's total corn output from the main summer and smaller winter crops to 53.46 million tonnes from the 54.18 million tonnes forecast in May. Brazil harvested 51 million tonnes of corn in 2008-09.

According to the report, in Mato Grosso and Goias states, there was a short drought that hurt the winter corn crop earlier this year.

The 2010 wheat crop, the planting of which is well advanced, was estimated at 5.07 million tonnes, little changed from May's projection. Brazil harvested 5 million tonnes of wheat in 2009.

Overall, Brazil's total grains output was projected at a record 146.9 million tonnes, unchanged from the May estimate. If confirmed, the total grain crop would be nearly 9% bigger than the 135.1 million tonnes produced in 2008-09.

The previous record crop was in 2007-08 when farmers harvested 144.1 million tonnes.