Rains seen to return to Brazil's major soy belt

Moisture is due to shift back into Brazil's main soy growing regions of the centre-west and south this week after a few days respite from heavy rains, weather forecaster Somar predicted Monday (Dec 7).

Brazil's soy belt is about to wind down its planting season in the coming days, with nearly all of the centre-west seeded and the southern states well over the halfway mark. Rainfall has been exceptionally good this year for the soy belt, though some regions in the south have seen more rain than optimal.

Somar reports that moisture is returning now to concentrate over central Brazil and part of the south, after some days with rain in the northeast that wet western Bahia, Piaui and Maranhao.

In addition, rains will be focused on the region between Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, the No. 1 and No. 5 soy producing states, respectively. In No. 4 soy state Goias, rain will fall in the central and southern parts of the state.

In Somar's extended 10-day forecast, rains are expected to continue with force in the centre-west, while the south will see more isolated showers, mostly over Parana.

Rainfall has been average to above average for nearly all of Brazil's main soy growing states so far this planting season that started in mid-September and will continue through December.

Based on statistical reports, Brazil is expected to produce a record soy crop of roughly 64 million tonnes this year.