December 10, 2009

Not sure a good year for Brazil's grain and crop output

The grain and crop output in Brazil will register 134.1 million tonnes, a decline of 8.1% against the record-high figure recorded in 2008.

According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the country's total cultivated area is estimated at 47.2 million hectares, down 0.2% from last year. The cultivated area of soy is to rise 2.2%, while corn, on the other hand, is to fall 4.7% in 2009.

Together, corn, soy and rice account for 81.4% of Brazil's total cultivated area. Production of soy and corn will fall by 4.8% and 13.5%, respectively.

In 2009, Brazil's southern region will register the largest grain and crop output: 52.7 million tonnes, down by 14.1% from 2008. The mid-western region's crop output will total 48.8 million tonnes, down 3.9% from 2008, while the southeastern region's crop output will total 17.2 million tonnes, down 2.4% from 2008.

In the northeastern region, the grain and crop output will total 11.7 million tonnes, down 6.2% from 2008, and in the northern region, the figure will amount to 3.8 million tonnes, down 0.1% from 2008.

For 2010, the IBGE projected a grain and crop output of 140.4 million tonnes, up 4.7% from 2009. The total cultivated area is to reach 48.1 million hectares, up 2% from this year.