The fourth of the national harvest of cereals, legumes and oilseeds points to a production of about 159.3 million metric tons...

The fourth of the national harvest of cereals, legumes and oilseeds points to a production of about 159.3 million metric tons, 0.5% lower than in 2011 (160.1 million metric tons) and 0.5% above the March estimate.  The area to be harvested in 2012, of 50.2 million hectares, presents increase of 3.2% over the 2011 figure, and increase of 0.8% over that of previous month.  The three main crops, rice, corn and soybeans which, together, make up 91.2% of the output of cereals, legumes and oilseeds, account for 84.3% of the area to be harvested.  Compared with the previous year, rice presented decrease of 11.6% in the area directed to harvesting, whereas corn and milk recorded decreases of 14.1% and 3.1%, respectively.   Concerning production, rice and soybeans faced decrease of, respectively, 13.8% and 11.4%, and corn, increase of 19.5% compared to results of year 2011. The complete publication is available at

https://www.ibge.gov.br/home/estatistica/indicadores/agropecuaria/lspa.

Among the Major Regions, the volume of cereals, legumes and oilseeds presents the following distribution: Central West, 64.5 million metric tons; South Region, 56.9 million metric tons; Southeast, 18.4 million metric tons; Northeast Region, 15.0 million metric tons; and North Region, 4.6 million metric tons.  Compared with the previous harvest, there were increments in the Northeast, 2.6%, Southeast, 6.9%, North, 4.6%, Central West, 15.0% and decrease of 16.2% in the South Region. Mato Grosso leads the national production of grains, with a contribution of 23.0%, followed by Paraná, with 19.3%, and Rio Grande do Sul, with 12.6%.  Together, these states represent 54.9% of the national total:

April estimate versus 2011 output

Among the 26 products selected, 12 recorded positive change in terms of production estimate over the previous year: herbaceous cotton seed (1.6%), oat in grain (2.9%), coffee beans – Arabica (16.9%), coffee beans – canephora (5.6%), sugarcane (3.9%), onions (2.8%), barley in grain (2.6%), 2^nd harvest beans (24.9%), cassava (2.2%), 1^st harvest corn (0.4%), 2^nd harvest corn (49.0%) and triticale in grain (4.4%).

Fourteen products recorded negative changes:1^st harvest peanuts in shell (3.2%), 2^nd harvest peanuts in shell (8.3%), paddy rice (13.8%), 1st harvest potatoes (7.6%), 2nd harvest potatoes (3.0%), 3rd harvest potatoes (1.2%), cacao beans (2.2%), 1^st harvest grain beans (27.0%), 3^rd harvest grain beans (9.1%), oranges (0.4%), castor beans in segment (52.5%), soybeans (11.4%), sorghum in grain (10.7%), and wheat in grain (15.9%).

Highlights in the April estimate in relation to March 2012

PEANUTS (in shell) Total - In April, attention is directed to the 2^nd harvest of this item, with Bahia as the state which features in the 1^st position in terms of planting. There were decreases in all the variables compared with the March estimates. The area to be planted, of 7,808 hectares, decreased by 10.4%. The expected production, of 7,442 metric tons now, presents decrease of 19.6% in relation to that of March, considering the severe drought affecting the state of Bahia. It is important to highlight that the output of this state represents 51.5% of the 2^nd harvest in Brazil.

COFFEE ARABICA (grain) – In the monthly comparison, the national harvest of coffee arabica in 2012, estimated at 2,298,995 metric tons (38.3 million 60-kg bags), presents increase of 1.3% in relation to the March estimate.  The area to be harvested, of 1,590,186 hectares, recorded increase of 1.0% over the 2011 harvest. The average yield increased 1.2% compared to that of March.

BEANS (in grain) – 1^st harvest – This crop has been almost completely harvested and records an output of 1,425,023 metric tons, 16.6% below that of the March estimate. There was reduction of the area in almost all the producing states. The Northeast Region, where harvesting is not complete yet, points to an output of 337,901 million metric tons, 45.4% less than in March. The planted area was reduced in some Northeastern states due to delayed and irregular rainfall, being the main highlights, in this case, the decreases by15.8% in Ceará and 25.4% in Rio Grande do Norte, in the estimates of April over March.  

CORN (grain) – 1^st harvest – The production estimate, in this ending phase of harvesting, is 34,314,297 metric tons, 1.7% less than in the pervious month, mainly due to the reduction of 3.4% in harvested area.  The Northeast Region, which holds 11.9% of the national production, was the mostly affected one, and faced decrease in terms of production (20.1%),  planted area (7.5%), harvested area (12;3%) and income (8.9%). That can be seen as a result of the prolonged and intense drought that has affected some states of this region. Ceará, in this April evaluation, recorded the most significant decrease of production estimate (-59.0%) among the states, followed by Piauí (-24.5%), Rio Grande do Norte (-15.6%) and Bahia (-8.2%).

CORN (grain) – 2^nd harvest – The prospect for the second national harvest of corn is 32,941,913 metric tons, with increase of production (5.9%), of average yield (1.6%), and of planted area (4.2%) over March.  The main state accounting for this rise was Mato Grosso do Sul, with increase in production (39.6%) and in the area to be harvested (19.9%).  

SORGHUM (grain) – A national production of 1,704,467 metric tons, 10.7% below that of 2011, is estimated this year, mainly due to the reduction of 8.0% in planted area. Nevertheless, in the comparison with March 2012, there was increase of 10.8%. It is worth mentioning that the decrease of planted area is related to a bigger option for planting of the 2^nd harvest of corn, now with an excellent price on the market.

WHEAT (grain) – For winter crops, which are concentrated in the southern states of  the country, there was production increase of oat products (16.8%) and barley (19.1%) and decreases in wheat (6.7%) and triticale (0.2%), compared with figures in the previous month. For wheat crops in Paraná, field surveys poin to an area of about 785,445 hectares in the state of "intended planting". The forecast of reduction of planting area with wheat crops in Paraná results from the low prices in effect in the previous harvest, and from the difficulty in selling their production. Until the end of planting, 20% of the expected area had been covered, and crops were in periods of germination (50%) and vegetative development (50%).  The estimate for wheat production in the 2012 harvest, if planting is confirmed, is about 2,258,626 metric tons, what maintains Paraná as the main producer, with a participation 0f 47.1% in the national output.

The Systematic Survey of Agricultural Production (LSPA) is a monthly survey to forecast and monitor the harvest of the main agricultural products, whose information is obtained by means of the Municipal Commissions (COMEA) and/or Regional Commissions (COREA). The latter are consolidated in state level by the Agriculture Statistics Coordinating Groups (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).

Due to users' needs of harvest data, the surveys relative to Cereals, Legumes and Oilseeds (cotton seed, peanut, rice, beans, castor beans, corn, soybean, oat, rye, barley, sunflower, sorghum, wheat and triticale) have been conducted in close partnership with the National Supply Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture (CONAB), a subdivision of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA). That initiative is the result of a process (started in October, 2007) of harmonization of official harvest estimates for the main Brazilian crops.