Brazil’s soybean planting ‘second-fastest pace of all times’: consultancies

Brazil’s soybean planting reached 22% of the intended area on October 14, the second-highest level on record for this time of the year as moisture levels and rainfall were favourable over the week, local consultancy Agrural said Monday.

“With soil moisture at good levels across the country and farmers taking advantage of dry windows to send planting machines to the fields, 2021/22 soybean planting advanced at a fast pace over the week,” the consultancy said.

Planting increased 12 percentage points on the week and was up 14 points on the year as the previous crop was marked by irregular rainfall patterns.

“Mato Grosso and Paraná continue to lead the country’s planting progress, but sowing has also gathered steam in other states,” Agrural said.

Meanwhile, summer corn planting advanced seven points on the week in the centre-south of Brazil to 45% of the intended area.

This is one point above the level registered at the same point last year, but works have slowed down somewhat over the week.

“Despite the good planting pace, sowing has progressed more slowly than expected in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina due to excessive moisture,” Agrural said.

The rival consultancy Safras & Mercados also released its weekly planting estimates on Friday, pegging the country’s soybean planting at 21% of the intended area as of October 15.

The consultancy’s planting estimate was up just over 11 points on the week and also landed above the 6% and 16% levels recorded respectively at the same point last year and in the last five years’ average.

According to Safras & Mercados, Mato Grosso was the state where planting had advanced the most, to 45% of the intended area, followed by Paraná (35%) and São Paulo (18%).