November 14, 2006

Brazil's 2006/07 soy crop 52 percent planted

Fifty-two percent of the 21.3 million hectares of Brazilian soy fields had been planted as of Nov 10, local consultancy AgRural said Monday (Nov 13).

The number is up from 37 percent on Nov 3 and a similar number at this time in the 2005/06 soy planting season.

AgRural said that 71 percent of the centre-west crop has been planted, followed by 44 percent in the southern states.

Mato Grosso, the country's leading producer, has 80 percent of the estimated 5.3 million hectares planted as of Nov 10. Parana, the no. 2 producer, has 65 percent of its estimated 4.1 million hectares planted and Rio Grande do Sul, the no. 3 producer, has 23 percent of its 4 million hectares planted at this time, AgRural said.

Good weather conditions throughout much of September and October have moved the planting season along quicker than in previous years. Days have been sunny for the most part with rain showers later in the evening or on the weekends.

Brazil should produce 55.9 million tonnes of soybeans from the 2006/07 crop compared with 53.4 million tonnes in the 2005/06 crop, AgRural said.