After a somewhat rocky patch, where much of the core growing regions were either too wet or too dry, Argentinian crops have been benefitting from more favorable weather recently. Timely rainfall in southern Buenos Aires helped to replenish soil moisture for both corn and soybeans, fending off concerns of running out of moisture. While some rains in the northern and southern core growing regions led to additional flooding in low-lying areas, the early planted soybeans are still mostly rated in either good or excellent condition. The recent rains were most beneficial to the beans that were in the pod setting or filling stages.
Soybean harvest across Brazil is mixed. While central states such as Mato Grosso and Goias are ahead of last year’s harvest pace, states such as Parana and Mato Grosso do Sul are trailing last year. In far southern Brazil, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, no soybeans have been harvested yet this year. However, this is common for the state as their harvest is typically later than the states further north. As a result of the mixed progress, total Brazil soybean harvest sat at 26% complete by the middle of February. Mato Grosso was the most advanced, with 52% of their beans harvested, up from only 33% last year. Early estimates peg the statewide yield to come in around 47 bu/ac, up from last year’s 43.2 bu/ac. Goias is the other main soybean producing state in Brazil that is ahead of last year’s pace. With nearly 43% of their crop harvested by mid-February, the state is well ahead of the 28% harvested last year by the same time. The state of Parana was only about 20% harvested through mid-February, well behind the 43% achieved last year. Wet weather severely slowed progress in both Parana and Mato Grosso do Sul. While Parana is one of the furthest behind in their harvest, Mato Grosso do Sul was still 6 points behind last year’s pace of 38% harvested through mid-February. Over the next 2 weeks, many of these states are forecast to receive at least some light rain almost every day. Farmers should be able to continue harvesting in between showers. This coming week, cumulative weekly rainfall is expected to be generally below normal in Goias and near normal in Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and Parana.
Similar to soybean harvest, safrinha corn planting is mixed across Brazil. However, this is not surprising since states like Mato Grosso, Parana, and Goias need to harvest soybeans before they can plant their second crop corn. Through mid-February, about 36% of Brazil’s safrinha corn crop had been planted, up from 33% last year and the average of 32%. Mato Grosso, like with soybeans, is the furthest advanced. About 54% of the crop had been planted, well up from only 36% last year. In Parana, only 25% of the crop had been planted, down from 48% last year and the average of 36%. While the ideal window for safrinha corn planting in most of these states has already passed, conditions this growing season are not expected to be nearly as hot and dry as last year. While there are still some areas of concern in terms of the weather, Brazil is not expected to see the catastrophic heat and dryness that decimated the safrinha corn last year.
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