Brazil Soy Harvesting at Slowest Pace in 10 Years

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The collection of Brazil’s 2020/2021 soybean crop reached 1.9% of the cultivated area through January 28th, the slowest pace for this time in the season since the 2010/2011 cycle, as planting delays and rains are disrupting harvesting work.

In a statement on Monday, agribusiness consultancy AgRural said the amount harvested is about 2.5 million tonnes, most of it in Mato Grosso state. This compares with 11.7 million tonnes collected at the same time last year, when farmers had reaped 8.9% of the area planted with soy nationwide.

In October, AgRural predicted just over 3 million tonnes of the new soy would be available in late January.

“Now, with the continuous rains in the second half of the month and the lengthening of the cycle for some of the crop, the total available ended up being even lower than we thought.”

In addition to making it difficult for machines to reap the soy in some fields, recent rain has also fueled speculation about the loss of grain quality due to excess moisture, AgRural said.

“This loss, in fact, exists. But for now, it is restricted to specific areas,” it said.

AgRural projects Brazil’s soybean crop at 131.7 million tonnes, but the number will be revised this month, when the expectation of more rainy weather could further delay harvesting and perhaps result in yield loss, the statement said.

Delays affecting Brazil’s soybean crop are also impacting the sowing of the second corn, as analysts predicted.

Through Jan 28, 1.5% of the area for second corn was planted in the Center-South of Brazil, the lowest rate for this time of year since 2013, AgRural said.