According to the September edition of the Systematic Survey of Agricultural Production (LSPA), the expected national harvest of cereals, legumes and oilseeds is 133.3 million metric tons, that is, 0.3% less than in August and 14.0% more than in 2006.

According to the September edition of the Systematic Survey of Agricultural Production (LSPA)¹, the expected national harvest of cereals, legumes and oilseeds² is 133.3 million metric tons, that is, 0.3% less than in August and 14.0% more than in 2006 (117.0 million metric tons). There was also slight decrease (-0.1%) of planted area, in comparison with 2006. Paraná (21.8%), Rio Grande do Sul (18.4%) and Mato Grosso (17.9%) lead the national production ranking.

In September, the production estimate for the national harvest of cereals, legumes and oilseeds was 133,3 million metric tons, 0.3% less than the estimate in the previous month and 14 % above the production obtained in 2006 (117.0 million tons). Similarly to what happened in the previous month, in September, soybeans and corn were the highlights. They made up 82.5% of the production - 58.3 million metric tons of soybeans and 51.7 million metric tons of corn - considering the two harvests of this product. In comparison with the previous harvest, the production of these items increased by 11.3%, 15.7% and 36.7%, respectively. Soybeans and corn had the biggest planted areas, with 20.6 million and 13.8 million hectares, respectively. The area harvested in 2007 (45.5 million hectares) remained at the same level as in 2006.

Among the Major Regions, the production of cereals, legumes and oilseeds was distributed as follows: South, 59.9 million metric tons; Central West, 44.0 million; Southeast, 15.9 million; Northeast, 10.1 million and North, 3.4 million metric tons. Paraná (21.7%), Rio Grande do Sul (18.3%) and Mato Grosso (18.2%) had the same levels of participation in the national production of grains.

Agricultural Production 2007 – comparison of September and August estimates

In September, four crops can be seen as highlights in terms of changes of estimate compared to the previous month: oats in grain (-1.2%), barley in grain (- 8.7%), corn in grain – 2nd harvest (-2.8%) and wheat in grain (0.7%). The decrease observed in oats grain and in barley in grain was a consequence of frosts and dry periods in Paraná, which led to changes of the productivity of oats (-3.3%) and barley (-15.1%).

The production estimate of corn in grain - 2nd harvest fell by 2.8%, with decreases in Bahia (-9.6%) and Mato Grosso (-8.3%). The lack of rain in Bahia, especially in the Northwestern pat of the state, has caused the fall of productivity. In Mato Grosso, there were changes in the final harvesting data: planted are had a small increment (0.4%), whereas average yield (3,677 kg/ha) fell by 8.6% in comparison with the previous month (4,024% kg/ha) due to the dry period. This unexpectedly prolonged the planting period, causing serious damage to crops.  

As for wheat, the production estimate for this month, in comparison with August, points to increase of 0.7%, as a result of reevaluations, especially in small producing centers, as in Santa Catarina. In this state, the prospect of a good performance of this cereal was surprising in some producing areas, and the climate was very favorable to crops.

Agricultural Production 2007 – comparison of harvests in 2006 and in September 2007

The production estimate of seventeen among the twenty five products analyzed by LSPA increased, in comparison with 2006: herbaceous seed cotton (32.9%), peanuts in husk – 2^nd harvest (18.2%), potatoes – 1^st harvest (22.6%), potatoes – 2^nd harvest (4.1%), cacao beans (9.9%), sugarcane (12.9%), onions (4.3%), barley in grain (30.4%), beans in grain – 1^st harvest (14.5%), oranges (1.1%), castor beans in segments (1.8%), cassava (3.1%), corn in grain 1^st harvest (15.7%), corn in grain 2^nd harvest  (36.7%), soybeans in grain (11.3%), wheat in grain (62.1%) and triticale (2.4%). With negative change were: peanuts in husk – 1st harvest (10.2%), rice in husk (3.7%), oats in grain (35.4%), potatoes – 3^rd harvest (2.0%), coffee in grain (15.3%), beans in grain – 2^nd harvest (19.8%), beans in grain – 3^rd harvest (1.2%) and sorghum in grain (13.8%).

Summer harvest products ended the harvest in the main grain producing centers, except in the Northeast Region, where, according to the agricultural calendar, there are still has some crops to harvest. Only the 2^nd and 3^rd harvests are still in process, as well as the winter crops. Corn 2^nd harvest kept its  a favorable performance, having increased by 36.7% in comparison with 2006.

The good performance is due, mainly, to the increase of planted area, which grew by 37.2%. The two main producing states, Paraná and Mato Grosso, accounted for 68.5% of the production in September. They also had the main gains by area, with 49.8% and 57.2%, respectively. The production obtained in these states would be higher if dry periods and frosts had not affected the crops. For wheat, which is the main crop harvested in the winter, the estimated production is 4.0 million metric tons; it is a significant increase (62.1%) in comparison with the previous harvest. This figure has been, so far, the result of better climactic conditions in the current harvests, differently from what was observed last week, when the dry periods and the frosts caused serious damages to crops. Besides, the good prices of current harvests have stimulated producers to increase their harvests.  

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¹ LSPA is a monthly survey of estimate and monitoring of the harvest of the main agricultural products, about which data are obtained through the Municipal Commissions (COMEA) and/or Regional Commissions (COREA), united at state level by the Agriculture Statistics Coordinating Group (GCEA) and later, evaluated, at national level, by the Special Commission of Planning, Control and Evaluation of Agricultural Statistics (CEPAGRO). This Commission is formed by representatives from IBGE and from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA).

² Cotton seed, peanuts, rice, beans, castor beans, corn, soybeans, oats, rye, barley, sunflower seeds, sorghum and triticale.