September 9, 2009
Brazil '09 grain crop estimated at 133.5 million tonnes
The agricultural survey group of Brazil's Census Bureau, the IBGE, on Tuesday (Sept 8) put the 2008-09 grain crop at 133.5 million tonnes.
The IBGE's new data for grains - which includes crops such as soy, corn and wheat - is 8.6-percent below the 146 million tonnes in 2007-08 crop.
IBGE's estimate is steady with its previous estimate in August.
Brazil should plant 47.1 million hectares with grain crops in 2008-09, down 0.4 percent from the previous season.
In addition, the National Commodities Supply Corp., or Conab, on Tuesday estimated Brazil's 2008-09 soy crop at 57 million tonnes, down 4.9 percent from the 2007-08 harvest of 60 million tonnes.
Conab, which is part of Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture, said that the area of land devoted to soy was 21.7 million hectares in 2008-09, up 1.9 percent from 2007-08.
Brazil's 2008-09 soy harvest has ended and farmers are currently finalising decisions about how much land to plant with soy for the new 2009-10 crop. They will start planting in late September in parts of Mato Grosso state.
