September 20, 2004

Brazil's Mato Grosso Begins Soybean Planting
 
Soybean growers in Brazil's center-west state of Mato Grosso began planting Thursday, Parana-based grain analysts AgRural said Friday.
 
Brazil's vast center-west is the first area to begin planting soybeans for the 2004-05 (October-September) season. Planters in the southern states of Parana and Rio Grande do Sul typically start planting in October.
 
After receiving roughly two centimeters of rain on Wednesday, farmers in the municipalities of Lucas do Rio Verde and Sapezal in Mato Grosso started planting Thursday.
 
While several producers have already begun planting, local soy trader Angelo Massambini said that if the region gets an addition two centimeters of rain, all producers are likely to begin planting.
 
AgRural estimates that Mato Grosso, Brazil's largest soy-producing state, will plant a total of 5.8 million hectares this season, up from 5.1 hectares in the 2003-04 season.
 
AgRural estimates that Brazil will plant a total of 22.5 million hectares of soy, up from 21.3 million hectares last year.
 
Brazil is expected to harvest 63-64 million metric tons of soy in the 2004-5 season, according to AgRural.