According to the Systematic Survey of Agricultural Production (LSPA), the national harvest of cereals, legumes and oilseeds shall be 133.8 million metric tons: this number is 0.3% greater than the estimate of July and 14.3% ...

According to the Systematic Survey of Agricultural Production (LSPA) ¹ the national harvest of cereals, legumes and oilseeds ², shall be 133.8 million metric tons: this number is 0.3% greater than the estimate of July and 14.3% greater than the production of 2006 (117.0 million metric tons). It also was observed a decrease of 0.3% (45.4 million hectares) of the planted area compared to 2006. Paraná (21.7%), Rio Grande do Sul (18.3%) and Mato Grosso (18.2%) led the national ranking of production.

In August, the estimate of production of the national harvest of cereals, legumes and oilseeds was 133.8 million metric tons, being 0.3% higher than the estimate of the previous month and 14.3% higher than the production of 2006 (117.0 million metric tons).  Soybeans and corn 1st and 2nd harvests stood out, representing 82.5% of the production, with 58.2 million metric tons for soybeans and 52.2 million metric tons for corn 1st and 2nd harvests.  These two products also presented the major planted areas, with 20.6 million hectares and 13.8 million hectares, respectively.  Compared to 2006, there were increases of 11.2% (soybeans), 16.0% (corn 1st harvest) and 40.6% (corn 2nd harvest).  The planted area in 2007 (45.4 million hectares) had a decrease of 0.3% compared to 2006 (45.5 million hectares).

Among the Major Regions, the production of cereals, legumes and oilseeds was distributed in the following way: South Region, 59.8 million metric tons; Central West, 44.5 million metric tons; Southeast, 15.9 million metric tons; Northeast, 10.2 million metric tons and North, 3.3 million metric tons.  Considering the states, Paraná (21.7%), Rio Grande do Sul (18.3%) and Mato Grosso (18.2%) had the major percentages of participation in the national production of grains.

Agricultural Production 2007 – estimate of August in relation to July

Among the surveyed crops by the LSPA in August, three stood out regarding the variations in the estimates of production compared to the previous month: beans in grain 2nd harvest (-2.7%), corn in grain 2nd harvest (+1.6%) and wheat in grain (-3.2%).  The negative change in the estimate of beans 2nd  harvest (-2.7%) this month resulted from adjustments made in the states of Ceará, Bahia and Mato Grosso do Sul , where irregular climatic conditions (prolonged droughts) damaged their development.  In Bahia (-9.9%) and in Mato Grosso do Sul (-14.7%) the losses were more relevant.  The estimate of harvest in these states is of 232 thousand and 15.5 thousand metric tons, respectively.

Corn in grain 2nd harvest is now in an advanced harvesting stage (near the end). In this case, changes can be observed in Paraná (-2.2%) and Mato Grosso do Sul (+9.1%).  In Paraná there was lack of rain in some localities, with loss of productivity (-3.8%), while in Mato Grosso do Sul the gain of production occurred due to new evaluations of the planted area (1.9%) and of the productivity 3,232 kg /ha, which had an increment of 7.7%, compared to July (3 thousand kg /ha).

Regarding wheat, the estimate of production of this year shows a decrease of 3.2% in comparison to the previous month.  The loss occurred mainly due to irregular climatic conditions in Paraná, such as lack of raining for long periods and a frost, which caused damages in July, especially for producers who planted later on.  In the regions where the planting occurred early, as in the western part of the state, the harvesting of products already began.  In Mato Grosso do Sul , as a consequence of new evaluations in the productivity, which changed from 1,400 kg /ha to 1,539 kg /ha, the production increased by 17.5%, reaching 48,994 metric tons in the estimate of August.  In this state, the harvest has already begun.

Agricultural Production 2007 – estimate of August in relation to the harvest 2006

Among the twenty-five products analyzed by the LSPA, seventeen had growth in the estimate of production in relation to 2006: herbaceous seed cotton (31.0%), peanuts in husk 2nd harvest (19.0%), potatoes 1st harvest (22.6%), potatoes 2nd harvest (4.2%), almond cacao (14.7%), sugar cane (12.9%), onions (4.3%), barley in grain (42.8%), beans in grain 1st harvest (14.7%), oranges (1.1%), castor beans in berry (2.5%), cassava (3.0%), corn in grain 1st harvest (16.0%), corn in grain 2nd harvest (40.6%), soybeans in grain (11.2%), wheat in grain (61.0%) and triticale (4.6%). With negative change: peanuts in husk 1st harvest (10.2%), rice in husk (4.0%), oats in grain (34.7%), potatoes 3rd harvest (2.0%), coffee in grain (15.0%), beans in grain 2nd harvest (19.7%), beans in grain 3rd harvest (0.8%) and sorghum in grain (13.2%).

A production of 4.0 million metric tons of wheat is expected in 2007, a production 61% higher than the harvest of the previous year, damaged by the adverse climatic conditions which ended with an average yield of 1,593 kg /ha, lower than the 2,227 kg /ha expected.  In Paraná, major national producer of wheat, a harvest of 1.9 million metric tons is expected, 54.5% more than the one obtained in 2006.  With the end of the products of the 1st harvest, mainly of soybeans and corn, which together have approximately 82.5% of the Brazilian production of grains, and with the major part of the crops of 2nd harvest already reaped, the scenario of the production of cereals, legumes and oilseeds for this month, shows only the situation of the winter products, especially wheat, due to the volume of production as well as due to its importance for the human feeding.

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Notes

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.