• Highlights

• The production value of the country's main agricultural crops fell 2.3% in 2023 compared to 2022 and reached R$814.5 billion;
• The grain crops, in turn, was 316.4 million tonnes, a volume 19.6% higher than the previous year's production and a record in the time series. Soybeans, sugarcane, corn and cotton recorded production records in the time series;
• The country's planted area, considering all 64 crops investigated, totaled 96.3 million hectares, an increase of almost 5.0 million hectares, that is, an expansion of 5.5%;
• Leader among the Federation Units, Mato Grosso had a 12.2% retraction in the value of agricultural production, reducing its national share to 18.8%.
• Sorriso (MT) continues to be the largest grain producer and had the highest production value among municipalities, accounting for 1.0% of the total value of national agricultural production in 2023.
• The soybean crops showed an increase of 0.4% in production value, despite a 25.4% increase in the volume harvested in the national territory. There was a 15.8% jump in the national average yield, which, added to the increase in the harvested area, made possible a record harvest of 152.1 million tonnes, remaining the world's largest producer of the grain.
• The corn crop recorded 132.0 million tonnes harvested, an increase of 20.2% compared to 2023. The harvested area was 5.9%, resulting in 22.3 million hectares. The production value suffered a 26.2% decline, totaling R$ 101.8 billion.
• Sugarcane production increased by 7.8% in 2023, totaling 782.6 million tonnes. Coffee production grew by 7.1%, but falling prices reduced the production value by 15.2%. Cotton production increased by 18.3% in production volume, totaling 7.5 million tonnes. Rice production fell by 4.5%, totaling 10.3 million tonnes. Wheat production fell by 25.3%, totaling 7.7 million tonnes, despite a 5.6% growth in cultivated areas in 2023. Fruits generated R$76.1 billion in production value, an increase of 16.7% compared to the previous year, with highlights for oranges, bananas, and acai berries.

After six years of growth, the production value of the country's main agricultural crops fell 2.3% in 2023 compared to 2022 and reached R$814.5 billion. The grain crops, on the other hand, broke a record, reaching 316.4 million tonnes, a volume 19.6% higher than the previous year's production. The country's planted area, considering all crops, totaled 96.3 million hectares, an increase of almost 5.0 million hectares, that is, an expansion of 5.5%, maintaining the growth rate observed over the last few years.

The data are from the Municipal Agricultural Survey and were published this Thursday (12) by the IBGE. The release event will take place today, the 12th, at 10 am (Brasília time), in the auditorium of the State Secretariat of Agriculture and Supply of the Government of the State of São Paulo (SAA – SP), in the República neighborhood, central area of ​​São Paulo (SP). There will be a live broadcast on Digital IBGE.

"After the water shortage in 2022 affected crop performance that year, especially grain production, in 2023 we noticed that rainfall was better distributed throughout the period, from planting to harvest. This led to a recovery in the productivity of these crops, which directly impacted the increase in production that year," highlights Winicius Wagner, research supervisor.

On the other hand, the IBGE researcher pointed out as a relevant cyclical factor that, with the increase in grain production, the market self-regulated and there was a drop in the prices of these products, an aspect that explains the drop in the production value of agricultural crops in 2023.

Soybeans, sugarcane, corn and cotton recorded production records in the time series and, together with coffee, were the top five products in the production value ranking, with varied results in the comparison between 2022 and 2023: soybeans (0.4%), sugarcane (8.5%), corn (-26.2%), coffee (-15.2%) and cotton (-9.0%).

“The record grain crop can be attributed, in addition to the recovery in productivity, to the continued pace of expansion of cultivated areas, given that over the years the areas have been expanding at an average of approximately 4% to 5% per year, which was no different in 2023”, highlights Mr Wagner.

Other products that recorded record production were peanuts, garlic, melon and sorghum, among the temporary crops, and olives, rubber, yerba mate and grapes, among the permanent crops.

Even with the retraction, Mato Grosso leads and concentrates almost 1/5 of the country's agricultural production value

Mato Grosso remains as the state with the highest production value in the country, with R$153.5 billion. The state is the largest national producer of soybeans and corn and, in 2023, with the drop in the price of these products, it saw a 12.2% drop in the value of agricultural production, reducing its national share to 18.8%.

Next comes São Paulo, with 13.8% of the national production value (R$112.5 billion) and 9.0% growth compared to 2022. Of note are the 12.0% increases in the production value of sugarcane and 43.9% in the production value of oranges, products in which the state is the national leader in production.

Paraná stood out in the production of soybeans and corn, after suffering severe losses in the previous harvest. The state now occupies the third position in production value, with 11.1%, totaling R$90.5 billion, an increase of 8.7%, surpassing Minas Gerais, the largest national coffee producer. The production value in the latter had an annual decline of 7.2%, with generation of R$81.0 billion, representing 9.9% of the country's total.

Sorriso (MT) accounted for 1.0% of the total value of national agricultural production in 2023

Among the municipalities, the highlight in agricultural production, for the fifth consecutive year, was Sorriso (MT), which alone accounted for 1.0% of the national total. The municipality also stood out, once again, as the municipality with the highest value generated from the production of soybeans (R$5.0 billion) and corn (R$2.1 billion). The municipality also stands out for its production of cotton (seed), with R$1.0 billion, and bean cultivation (R$185.8 million).

The second position in the ranking of agricultural production value was occupied by São Desidério (BA), which totaled R$7.8 billion, a decrease of 12.4% compared to 2022. The production of soybeans, cotton and corn were highlights in the municipality, totaling, together, R$7.6 billion.

Sapezal (MT) recorded the third highest value of agricultural production in the country, with R$7.5 billion, a decrease of 5.9% compared to the previous year. The municipality stood out for the production of upland cottonseed, obtaining the highest value generated by the product, approximately R$3.5 billion. Soybean production also stands out, with R$3.5 billion.

In 2023, the 10 municipalities with the highest agricultural production values ​​together generated R$65.1 billion, accounting for 8.0% of the value obtained in the country from agricultural production. Of these, six belonged to Mato Grosso, while Bahia and Goiás appear with two municipalities each. All of them, with the exception of Sapezal, in Mato Grosso, have soybeans as their main agricultural product. Corn and cotton are also prominent products in these municipalities.

Soybeans have record harvest year and falling prices

The soybean crop increased by 25.4% in 2023, a year with favorable weather conditions for the crop's development, with a recovery in crop productivity in most of the country compared to 2022. There was a 15.8% jump in the national average yield, which, together with the increase in the harvested area, made possible a record crop of 152.1 million tonnes. There was an annual growth of 0.4% in the value of production, which generated R$ 348.7 billion.

“With the greater supply on the market and after years of rising, the price of soybeans on the international market underwent a correction, which brought down the product's price. In addition to this, there was also the exchange rate appreciation of the national currency against the dollar, which further pressured the price traded domestically, resulting in a timid growth in the value of production in 2023”, analyzes the researcher.

Soybeans remained the most prominent among the agricultural products surveyed, accounting for 42.8% of the total production value. The attractive prices in recent crops encouraged producers to expand cultivation areas, which resulted in a 7.6% increase in the planted area in the year, an increase of almost 3.2 million hectares.

Mato Grosso, the largest national producer, saw a 16.8% increase in production, totaling 44.4 million tonnes, while Paraná, the second largest producer of the grain, recorded growth of 60.2%, totaling 21.6 million tonnes.

Drop in corn production value contrasts with record in area, harvested and exported volume

Corn, which in 2023 accounted for 41.7% of the country's total production of cereals, legumes and oilseeds, for yet another year showed an increase in crop productivity and expansion of production areas. The 132.0 million tonnes harvested represented a 20.2% increase compared to the volume obtained in the previous year, even with some losses caused by the drought that hit the Center-South of the country during the summer months.

“For yet another year, producers invested in expanding the cultivation areas for the 2nd crop, following the main summer crops, most notably soybeans, resulting in an increase in the total area harvested in Brazil,” explains Mr. Wagner.

The area harvested for corn in 2023 increased by 5.9%, resulting in 22.3 million hectares. The production value, on the other hand, suffered a 26.2% drop, totaling R$ 101.8 billion.

“In contrast to the good results achieved in the field, the excessive supply of corn in the market and the high stocks had a direct impact on the commodity's prices, which were falling throughout the year, resulting in a drop in the value generated,” highlights the IBGE researcher.

Mato Grosso, with a record production of 50.2 million tonnes, remained in first place in corn production. With falling prices, the value of Mato Grosso's production of the grain fell by 29.9%, reaching R$29.5 billion.

The municipality of Sorriso (MT) once again recorded the largest volume of corn produced in the country, with 3.8 million tonnes, which generated R$2.1 billion, followed by Rio Verde, in Goiás, with 2.5 million tonnes and R$1.9 billion generated.

Increase in area, favorable weather and good prices favor sugarcane production

Sugarcane production increased by 7.8% in 2023, totaling 782.6 million tonnes and becoming the second agricultural product in value generation, with R$102.0 billion, an annual increase of 8.5%.

“Favorable weather and the renovation of old sugarcane fields contributed to the increase in productivity recorded in 2023. The increase in production value is also due to the increase in the price of sugar, with less availability on the international market, as well as ethanol, which accompanied the increase in the price of oil”, highlights the analyst.

There was a 1.8% increase in the sugarcane area, which exceeded 10 million hectares, of which 66.0% are concentrated in the Southeast Region. The Center-West also showed an expansion of 4.8% in the harvested area, totaling 1.9 million hectares, and produced 152.5 million tonnes, an increase of 15.8%.

The state of São Paulo, with a 4.5% increase in the volume produced, alone accounted for 55.6% of the national production value, with a total of R$56.7 billion, followed by Minas Gerais and Goiás.

Coffee production grows 7.1%, but prices fall

National coffee production reached 3.4 million tonnes, a 7.1% increase compared to the previous year. The increase in production is mainly due to the 2.9% expansion in the total harvested area, combined with the recovery in productivity achieved with arabica coffee, even in a year with negative biennial expectations, which indicates a possible reversal.

Even with the increase in national production, the value generated by the product had an annual decline of 15.2%, totaling R$44.0 billion, influenced by the high price level reached in previous years.

“This result is due to the drop in coffee prices on the international market. There was a 2.9% increase in the total area harvested, with growth in the productivity of coffee plantations”, highlighted the supervisor of the Municipal Agricultural Survey.

Of all the coffee produced in the country, almost 2.4 million tonnes were of the arabica type, a volume that represented 69.4% of the total in 2023. The value of production generated by it was R$ 32.8 billion, a decrease of 16.5% compared to 2022. Minas Gerais accounted for 72.5% of all arabica coffee produced in the country, reaching 1.7 million tonnes, an increase of 24.8% compared to the previous year. However, the value of arabica coffee production in the state shrank by 15.2%, generating R$ 23.9 billion. São Paulo, the second largest producer of arabica coffee, totaled 307.2 thousand tonnes, an increase of 4.8%, registering R$ 4.6 billion in production value, a decrease of 2.7%.

Brazil breaks record in cotton production, but production value decreases

Cotton production performed well again in 2023, with an 18.3% increase in the volume produced, totaling 7.5 million tonnes of cotton (seed), a record in the time series of the survey, with an average yield of the crop higher than 14.2% compared to the previous cycle.

The increase in the availability of the product in the market and the reduction in demand culminated in the increase in stocks and a drop in external and internal cotton prices. As a result, there was a 9.0% drop in the value of cotton production (seed), which generated R$ 29.7 billion. In 2023, the planted area was expanded by 3.6%, which directly influenced the decision of producers to invest in expanding production areas, which reached 1.7 million hectares.

Mato Grosso and Bahia continued to lead cotton production. Approximately 90.2% of the area planted in the country was concentrated in these two states. While Mato Grosso generated R$20.3 billion in value from the crop, an annual decline of 13.3%, Bahia totaled R$7.3 billion, an increase of 7.0%. The municipality of Sapezal (MT), in Mato Grosso, with a production of almost 1 million tonne in 2023, was the one that generated the most value from the product, totaling R$3.5 billion.

Rice feels the effects of water shortages and production drops 7.6%

Rice production fell again in 2023, falling 4.5% in production, totaling 10.3 million tonnes. After two years of falling grain production, prices reacted, ending the year with nominal records, contributing to a 14.4% growth in production value, estimated at R$17.8 billion. Rio Grande do Sul accounted for 69.4% of the national rice production.

Wheat production also stands out, with a 25.3% drop, totaling 7.7 million tonnes, despite a 5.6% increase in cultivated areas in 2023.

Oranges, bananas, and acai berries are the fruits with the highest value generation in the country

The survey monitored the production of 21 fruits, which together generated R$76.1 billion in production value, an increase of 16.7% compared to the previous year. São Paulo was the state that generated the most value from this production, totaling R$22.4 billion in the year, an increase of 33.1%, mainly reflecting the increase in the prices of oranges and bananas, fruits that obtained the highest production value in the group.

Brazil stands out worldwide as the largest producer of orange juice, a fruit that, in 2023 alone, reached a production of 17.6 million tonnes in the country, and that generated almost R$ 20.0 billion for the national economy, a revenue 39.2% higher than in 2022. It is precisely in São Paulo that 63.4% of the orange production areas are concentrated, with the municipality of Casa Branca standing out, with a production of 605.0 thousand tonnes.

More about the survey

The Municipal Agricultural Survey investigates a set of products from temporary and permanent crops in the country, providing information on planted area, area to be harvested, harvested area, quantity produced, average yield and average price paid to producers, in the reference year, for 64 agricultural products.

The tables, with data for Brazil, Major Regions, Federation Units, Mesoregions, Microregions and Municipalities, can be accessed through Sidra. Municipal information for each product is only provided based on one hectare of area occupied by the crop and one tonne of production.