La Nina hampers soy planting in Brazil

Irregular rainfall across Mato Grosso, Brazil's top soy producing state, will continue to hamper soy planting, according to private weather service Somar.

The soy-planting season officially began in mid-September in Mato Grosso. However, the La Nina weather phenomenon has caused lower rainfall there, leading many farmers to delay planting as they wait for heavy rains to soak the dry, brittle soil.

A patchy mix of heavy downpours and light showers across Mato Grosso will continue to delay planting in the days ahead, Somar meteorologist Marcio Custodio said. He noted that regular heavy and constant rains would only return to Mato Grosso's soy regions in November.

Somar said that some areas are getting a good dousing such as Rondonopolis, with 48 millimeters of rain expected between October 1 and October 8. Other areas such as Sinop will see lighter showers with just 27 millimeters falling in the same period.

Despite the delayed plantings, the irregular rainfall is unlikely to hamper output in Brazil, the world's second-largest soy producer after the US.

Analysts said that the region's soy output would not be affected as most farmers can successfully plant their beans in October.

However, sparse rain in some areas could reduce the window for planting a second crop such as corn or cotton, analysts said. Mato Grosso's farmers typically rush to plant a second crop in Mato Grosso one the soy is harvested.

In Parana, Brazil's second-largest soy-growing state, the rains are more regular than in Mato Grosso.