The national harvest of cereals, legumes and oilseeds¹ must amount 145.1 million tons in 2010, 8.5% larger than that obtained in 2009 (133.8 million tons) and 1.2% above the survey of January (143.4 million tons). This is what the Systematic Survey of Agricultural Production (LSPA²) of February shows. The area to be harvested, 47.9 million hectares, presents a 1.5% increase in relation to 2009, which was 47.2 million hectares. 

The three main crops (rice, corn and soybeans), which account for 81.5% of the planted area, present variations of -3.8%, -4.1% and +5.9%, respectively, when compared to the 2009 harvest. As regards production, corn and soybeans recorded increases of +2.6% and +17.4%, whereas rice presents a decrease of -5.0%.

The harvest expected for 2010 has the following distribution by region: South, 60.8 million tons (+16.1%); Central West, 49.9 million tons (+2.2%); Southeast, 16.4 million tons (-4.2%); Northeast, 14.0 million tons (+20.6%) and North, 3.9 million tons (+3.4%). Paraná remains as the main national grain producer, surpassing Mato Grosso in 1.4 percentage point.

February estimate in relation to the 2009 harvest is positive for 15 products

Among the 25 selected products, 15 presented positive variation in the estimate in relation to 2009: castor beans in segment (+86.6%), beans in grain 1^st harvest (+23.1%), soybeans in grain (+17.4%), coffee in grain (+14.4%), barley in grain (+11.8%), triticale in grain (+9.9%), wheat in grain (+9.4%), corn in grain 2^nd harvest (+8.4%), potatoes 2^nd harvest (+8.4%), onions (+5.7%), oranges (+4.1%), cassava (+3.6%), herbaceous cotton seed (+2.1%), sugarcane (+2.0%) and potatoes 1^st harvest (+1.1%). The 10 products with negative variation are: peanuts in husk 2^nd harvest (-27.7%), beans in grain 3^rd harvest (-14.1%), oats in grain (-10.1%), peanuts in husk 1^st harvest (-9.3%), potatoes 3^rd harvest (-6.1%), beans in grain 2^nd harvest (-5.9%), rice in husk (-5.0%), sorghum in grain (-3.2%), cacao nuts (-2.1%) and corn in grain 1^st harvest (-0.4%).

The estimate for February for the coffee harvest is 2.8 million tons (14.4% larger than that of 2009). The total area occupied with the crop in the country, 2.1 million hectares, presents a decrease of 1.1%. The expected average yield is 1,304 kg/ha, 14.5% higher than the obtained in the previous harvest. It is worth highlighting that 2010 is a year of bumper harvest, despite the problems observed in Minas Gerais, the biggest producing state.

The main temporary summer crops, with soybeans and corn standing out, had their harvest initiated, especially where plantation begins earlier. The next surveys will follow the summer harvest and the development of the second and third harvests of some products, besides winter crops, still based on projections.

In February, five products stand out

In the February LSPA, estimate variations of five products stand out: coffee in grain (-0.8%), beans in grain 2^nd harvest (-1.7%), corn in grain 1^st harvest (+0.9%), corn in grain 2^nd harvest (+3.5%) and soybeans in grain (+1.2%).

Coffee (in grain)

The national production of coffee in grain was estimated in 2.8 million tons (46.4 million bags). In relation to January, the amount represents a decrease of 0.8%. The total area occupied by the crop also presents a decrease (-0.1%), being 2.3 million hectares, and the area destined to harvest is 2.1 million hectares (-0.3%) in comparison with the January LSPA. The decreases result from the problem of high temperatures at Zona da Mata and the excess of flowerings in Southern Minas Gerais.

Beans (in grain) Total

The national bean production, considering the three harvests, was evaluated in 3.7 million tons, 1.7% below that estimated at the January LSPA. In relation to the first harvest of the product, production remained practically the same (reduction of just 349 tons). The second harvest recorded a fall of 4.5% (63,362 tons, in absolute terms). This negative variation notably reflects the decreases observed at Paraná (-13.2%) and Rio Grande do Sul (-4.5%). In those states, respectively, the cultivated area decreased 27.9% and 10.8% in comparison to January. The low prices of the product, below the minimum price, prevent the previous projection to be reached.

Corn (in grain) Total

The national corn production in 2010, for both harvests, is 52.4 million tons, with positive variation of 1.8% over January. In the first harvest, production may reach 33.7 million tons (+0.9%). In Paraná, main national producer (19.2% participation), 25% of the area is harvested, and productivity exceeds expectations due to the good climate conditions. Corn production 2^nd harvest must be 18.6 million tons, 3.5% above that of January. This increase is due to, basically, new information surveyed at Paraná, where an 11.8% production gain is expected. In that state, although the planted area, compared to last month, records a 7.9% reduction because of low prices that not stimulated the expected crops, the estimated productivity of 4,346 kg/ha increased by 21.3%, what explains the production gain.

Soybeans in grain

The expected soy production in 2010 is 66.9 million tons, 1.2% larger than that estimated in January. The increase is due to a positive reassessment of 1.3% in yielding, because of favorable climate conditions at the main producing centers. At Paraná, second national producer, the harvest has already finished in 20% of the total area occupied with the crop, and the average yielding grew 1.6% over January, reaching 3,093 kg/ha. 

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¹Cotton seed, peanuts, Rice, beans, castor beans, corn, soybeans, oats, rye, barley, sunflower, sorghum wheat and triticale.

²Due to the need of crop data users, surveys relative to cereals, legumes and oilseed have been conducted in close partnership with Companhia Nacional de Abastecimento (Conab), a subdivision of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa), as a sequence to a process of harmonization of official harvest estimates for the main Brazilian crops, which started in October 2007.