Leveraged by the new record of soybean production (86.8 million metric tons), the Brazilian agriculture registered, in 2014, a growth of 8.1% in the production value, reaching R$ 251.2 billion. Soybeans, coffea arabica and upland cotton were the crops that mostly contributed to the rise of the production value. Of the 64 surveyed crops, 39 recorded increase in the production and 25, decrease. Besides soybeans (up 5.0 million metric tons ), the highlights were cassava (up 1.8 million metric tons), upland cotton (up 820 thousand metric tons) and wheat (up 523 thousand metric tons). Affected by droughts in 2014, sugarcane (-4,0%) stood out among the products which fell. São Desidério (BA) was first in the national rank in terms of production value (R$ 2.3 billion), with upland cotton as the main product. Soybeans were the major product of 41 out of the 50 municipalities with the highest production value. The highlights were Sorriso (MT), which, with a production value of R$ 2.2 billion, ranked second among the municipalities.

These data are available in the Municipal Agricultural Production Survey (PAM) 2014, which investigates 64 products of the national agriculture and presents results for Brazil, Major Regions, states and municipalities. Complete information on PAM 2014 is available here.

All the Major Regions registered rise in the value of the agricultural production, in 2014. The biggest ones were in the Northeast (19.5%), Central-West (12.4%) and North Region (11.7%), followed by the South (4.1%) and Southeast (3,1%). As a result, the production value reached R$ 71.5 billion (South); R$ 69.2 billion (Southeast); R$ 64.2 billion (Central-West); R$ 33.3 billion (Northeast); and R$ 13.0 billion (North).

Considering the Federation Units, São Paulo kept the leadership, although its participation in the production value fell from 16.0% to 14.8%, between 2013 and 2014, due to the high temperatures and low rainfall, which harmed sugarcane crops. In the second position, comes Mato Grosso (13.5%), followed by Paraná (12.9%), Rio Grande do Sul (12.2%) and Minas Gerais (10.3%).

The value of agricultural production in São Paulo totaled R$ 37.2 billion, in 2014, and the main product was sugarcane (57.5%), followed by oranges (9.8%), soybeans (4.6%), tomatoes (4.5%) and coffea arabica (4.3%). In Mato Grosso, temporary crops have contributed 99.1% to the R$34.0 billion result. The highlight was soybeans (69.6%), upland cotton (11.3%), corn grains (10.9%), sugarcane (3.3%), rice (1.1%) and beans (1.1%).

In the 50 main producing municipalities, there was drop in the total production value in five municipalities: -22.6% in Cristalina (GO), -3.6% in Jataí (GO), -25.7% in Chapadão do Céu (GO), -13.7% in Tibagi (PR) and -13.6% in Perdizes (MG).

Table 3 - Planted área and área to be harvested, harvested area, production value,
change of the productin value, participation in the total production value,
according to malor producing municipalities, in decreasing order of production value – 2014

Fonte: IBGE, Diretoria de Pesquisas, Coordenação de Agropecuária, Produção Agrícola Municipal 2014.

In 2014, the crops of cereals, legumes and oilseeds (grains) hit a record, totaling 194.6 million metric tons and surpassing by 3.5% the result obtained in 2013 (188.1 million metric tons), with the production value reaching the highest level: R$ 136.7 billion. The planted area was 57.4 million hectares (6.9% larger), and the harvested area was of 56.7 million hectares (7.5% larger).

Soybean production grows 6.2%, but yield falls 2.1%

The growth of the national production of soybeans was of 6.2%, totaling 86.8 million metric tons, with an average yield of 2,866 kg/ha, 2.1% lower than the previous crop. In 2014, the ranking of the main producers of soybeans remained the same: Mato Grosso (30.5%) led the output, followed by Paraná (17.2%), Rio Grande do Sul (15.0%), Goiás (10.3%), Mato Grosso do Sul (7.3%) and Minas Gerais (3.9%).

Soybeans were the main product of 41 out of the 50 municipalities with the highest production values. The highlights were Sorriso (MT), which reached production value of R$ 1.7 billion, Campo Novo do Parecis (MT), Nova Mutum (MT), Sapezal (MT) and Formosa do Rio Preto (BA).

Mato Grosso is the main producer of upland cotton

With a harvested area of 1.1 million hectares, the country produced 4.2 million metric tons of cotton, which represented a growth of 24.0% in the production value over 2013. Mato Grosso keep a wide margin (56.3%), totaling 2.4 million of metric tons, with growth of 27.7% of the value, in relation to 2013 crops.

Bahia had, in 2014, a contribution of 27.5% to the Brazilian production of cotton, with São Desidério as the main national producer (10.9%). As a result, the municipality was harmed sugarcane crops in terms of the production value of 2014 (R$ 2.3 billion), with upland cotton as its main product (53.4%). The state produced 1.2 million metric tons, in an area of 341 thousand hectares. Among the 20 main producing municipalities, 11 are in Mato Grosso, where 1.6 million metric tons were produced, in an area of 413 thousand hectares, with a highlight to Sapezal. Goiás was the third main producer of cotton in the country: 267.2 thousand metric tons were harvested, 30.2% more than it had been in 2013. The crop area was of 68.1 thousand hectares. The main producer of the state was Chapadão do Céu, which produced 69.0 thousand metric tons, with the 16th position in the ranking.

South Region concentrates rice production

The national production of rice grew 3.3%, in 2014, staying at 12.2 million metric tons, whereas the average yield was of 5,201 kg/ha. The harvested area reached 2.3 million hectares (0.5% smaller). The South Region was responsible for 77.9% of the national production, or 9.5 million metric tons, in a harvested area of 1.3 million hectares. The average yield was of 7,342 kg/ha.

Rio Grande do Sul, the major national producer in 2014 (67.7%), produced 8.2 million metric tons, in a harvested area of 1.1 million hectares, with an average yield of 7,402 kg/ha. Of the 20 main producing municipalities of rice in the country, except for Lagoa da Confusão (TO) and Formoso do Araguaia (TO), all are from Rio Grande do Sul. The first five producing municipalities - Uruguaiana, Itaqui, Santa Vitória do Palmar, Alegrete and São Borja - accounted for 22.1% of the national production.

Coffee production falls because of unfavorable weather conditions in MG

The Brazilian production of coffee, in 2014, was of 2.8 million metric tons, or 46.7 million sacks of 60 kg (5.4% lower). The harvested area reached 2.0 million hectares. In Minas Gerais, the major producer in the country (48.7%), the output reached 1.4 million metric tons, a drop of 14.8% due to an untypical year, with high temperatures and scarce rainfall, principally in the south of the state and in the Zona da Mata. This affected the coffea arabica crops. In Espírito Santo, the second main producer of the country (27.6%), the output reached 774.5 thousand metric tons, a rise of 10.3% in relation to 2013, with a highlight to coffea canephora. In São Paulo, the third in the ranking (10.3%), there was a production of 289.0 thousand metric tons, followed by Bahia, Rondônia and Paraná, which together represent 11.5%.

Patrocínio (MG) is the main producing municipality of coffee, with 63 thousand metric tons, followed by Jaguaré (ES), with 47.3 thousand metric tons, and Vila Valério (ES) with 45.1 thousand metric tons. The 20 biggest producing municipalities had a contribution of 21.2% to the total coffee.

Uberaba (MG) surpassed Morro Agudo (SP) as the major sugarcane producer

The Brazilian production of coffee, in 2014, was of 737.2 million metric tons, a drop of 4.0% in relation to the previous year, with the harvested area reaching 10.4 million hectares. São Paulo was the main producer (54.4%), with 401.3 million metric tons. Low rainfalls in 2014 and low prices, hindering investments in crops, were the main factors responsible for the drop in the state production.

Minas Gerais was the second producer of the country, with 71.1 million metric tons, followed by Goiás, with 69.4 million metric tons, Paraná, with 47.9 million metric tons, Mato Grosso do Sul, with 44.0 million metric tons, and Alagoas, with 28.7 million metric tons.

The biggest municipal producer of sugarcane was Uberaba (MG) which, with 6.9 million metric tons, for the first time surpassed Morro Agudo (SP), which suffered from the intense drought which stroke the state, producing 6.8 million metric tons. The production value of the sugarcane reached R$ 42.2 billion in 2014, getting the second place in the ranking of agricultural product in terms of economic importance for the country, just behind soybeans.

Production of cassava increases 8.2%

The production of cassava in 2014, was of 23.2 million metric tons, with an increase of 8.2% in relation to 2013. The harvested area reached 1.6 million hectares, while the average yield stayed at 14.8 thousand kg/ha. The rise of production was due to the recovery of the Northeast's production, which, in the previous years had suffered great losses because of severe droughts.

Pará is the main producer of cassava in the country, with 4.9 million metric tons. Its contribution was 21.1% of the total. Paraná, the second in production, with 4.0 million metric tons, participated with 17.0%, followed by Bahia (2.1 million metric tons), Maranhão (1.6 million metric tons), São Paulo (1.3 million metric tons) and Acre (1.2 million metric tons). The other Federation Units produced 8.1 million metric tons and contributed with 34.7% to the national production of cassava.

Cassava is planted in all states and, in 2014, it was cultivated in 4,523 of the 5,567 municipalities. Its national coverage only loses to corn crops (planted in 5,165 municipalities). The main producers were Acará (PA), Araruna (PR) and Santarém (PA).

Sorriso (MT) is the main producer of corn (in grain)

After a record in 2013, the national production of corn decreased 0.5% in 2014, registering 79,9 million metric tons, with the main products in Mato Grosso (-10.5%), Paraná (-8.8%), Minas Gerais (-6.5%) and Rio Grande do Sul (0.6%).

The municipality of Sorriso (MT) remained on top of the ranking, although the output fell 24.5%, from 2.7 million metric tons to 2.0 million metric tons. Low prices also discouraged producers from Paraná, which reduced by 430,566 hectares the production area, harvesting 15.8 million metric tons. In Goiás, production grew 18.2% and the area also increased, from 1.2 million to 1.4 million hectares. Jataí was the main producer in Goiás and the second of Brazil, having produced 1.5 million metric tons, 10.6% more than in the previous crop.

Wheat drops 19.6% in average yield

The national production of wheat, in 2014, was of 6.3 million metric tons (9.1% bigger), and the harvested area was of 2.8 million hectares (35.8% larger). The average yield fell 19.6%, reaching 2,209 kg/ha.

The South, main national producer (91.8%), obtained 5.7 million metric tons in a harvested area of 2.7 million hectares – 4.5% and 33.2% bigger, respectively, when compared to the data of the 2013 crops. The average yield of 2,158 kg/ha decreased 21.6%. Paraná obtained a production of 3.8 million metric tons, 100.8% higher than that of the previous year, in a harvested area of 1.4 million hectares and an average yield of 2,749 kg/ha, since, differently from 2013, in 2014, the weather conditions were favorable. Among the municipalities in Paraná, the highlights were Tibagi (the main producer in the country), Castro and Luiziana. The opposite occurred in Rio Grande do Sul, where, after a harvest record in 2013, due to weather conditions, just 1.7 million metric tons were harvested (-50.2%).

Petrolina keeps the 1st position in fruticulture, despite drops in grapes' prices

In 2014, the total production of the 22 species of fruit surveyed grew 9.3% in relation to 2013, totaling R$ 25.4 billion. Banana, with a contribution of 21.8% in the total of fruit, and orange, with a contribution of 21.7%, were the species with the highest value in the national production. Apples (36.8%), figs (18.1%), coconuts (17.4%) and lemon (17.0%) also increased significantly their production value.

Petrolina (PE), with R$ 470.3 million, remains as first in the production value of fruits, despite the reduction of 48.8% in relation to 2013, due to the drop of the average price of grapes, the major crops. The municipality also has a significant production of mango, guava, banana and coconuts.

São Joaquim (SC), the second in the ranking, added up to R$ 312.4 million, a rise of 95.3% in the production value. This result was influenced by the increase of 42.2% in the price and of 38.9% in the production of apples.