Agricultural production
Estimates point to record harvest, pushed by corn production, in 2019
August 08, 2019 09h00 AM | Last Updated: August 08, 2019 03h41 PM
The estimates of July for the 2019 harvest point to an output of 239.7 million metric tons of grains, a record in the time series that started in 1975. That represents an increase of 5.8% against last year, which is equivalent to 13.2 million metric tons more of cereals, legumes and oilseeds, according to the Systematic Survey of Agricultural Production (LSPA).
The previous record had been obsereved in 2017, with a total output of 238.4 million metric tons of grain.
The 2019 harvest is expected to reach two new records: corn, which has increased by 21.4% and its supposed to reach 98.8 million metric tons; and cotton, with an unprecedented figure of 6.5 million metric tons.
Carlos Alfredo Guedes, Agriculture manager at the IBGE, explains that the second crop of cron has been planted sooner and was positively affected by the rainy period.
“Thanks to good climate conditions, there will be a record output." He believes the effects of the climate can be seen in figures: whereas 2nd-crop milk increased by 31% against 2018, its planted area rose by 10.5% only. “However, yield is 18.5% bigger. Rain has helped,” he says.
The IBGE estimates point to an outpu of 113.2 million metric tons of soybenas in 2019, which means a decrease of 4% against last year. Carlos explains that a record harvest was also expected for soybeans.
“The area planted with soybeans increased 2.2% in relation to 2018, an increase of 800 thousand hectares. In the end of 2018, however, a drought led to the decline of yield by 6%”. The dry period was observed in states where soybean crops ore of great importance, such as Paraná, São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Bahia, and that led to a decrease of output.
