Being mainly affected by the increase of the harvests of soybeans, sugarcane and corn, the value of the Brazilian agricultural production increased 17.8%...

Being mainly affected by the increase of the harvests of soybeans, sugarcane and corn, the value of the Brazilian agricultural production  increased 17.8% 17,8% (R$ 17.6 billion) from 2006 to 2007. Last year, the 64 crops investigated by the IBGE’s survey Municipal Agricultural Production (PAM) occupied, together, na area of 62,339,315 ha, generating over R$ 116.6 billion (the detailed data by product are displayed in Table 1).

All the survey results era available on the site www.ibge.gov.br; the page also displays data relative to the harvests of cereals, legumes and oilseeds – commonly known as grains. An innovation of this publication is the disaggregation of results by product for those crops which are harvested more than once a year. This way, there is information detailed at municipal level for the following crops: peanuts (in husk) and corn, in both 1^st and 2^nd harvests; potatoes and beans, in the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd harvests.

As a consequence of the favorable international scenario, products such as soybeans As the international scenario (+10.3%) and corn (+22.2%) had a good performance in production in 2007. Producers chose for good technological level, increasing their investments in inputs, thus determining the development of crops. Besides, climatic conditions, which had been affecting the agricultural sector in a negative way, had na opposite effect in 2007, and contributed to the progress of crops in the year.

Demand for ethanol causes increase in the production (15.1%) and planted area (11.5%) of sugarcane

In order to fulfill the market demand for ethanol, Brazil has increased its planted area with sugarcane in the last few years. In 2007, the area directed to harvests surpassed seven million hectares, in an increase of 11.5% in relation to 2006, directly affecting production, which reached 549.7 million tons (15.1% more than in 2006). The better productivity of sugarcane plantations is a result of investments in research for the development of new varieties, better handling, effectiveness in irrigation, among others. Besides, the favorable climatic conditions presented in the year favored the development of crops.  

The sugarcane harvest in 2007 was more directed to alcohol production than in previous years, and the majority of production served the internal market, since, despite the increase of exports, the external market is still restricted, due to protectionist barriers. The United States and Brazil are the major ethanol producers, with about 26 and 20 billion liters of alcohol, respectively.

The increase of the offer of sugarcane caused, however, the fall of prices in the internal market during the harvesting period. Besides, in the international market, sugar did not have a good performance in 2007, as a consequence of the increase of the Indian production. These factors caused an average reduction of 26% in the prices paid for the ton of sugarcane, frustrating the expectations of agriculturalproducers, who exected prices similar to those in 2006.

São Paulo is the main national producer, accounting for approximately 60% of the Brazilian sugarcane.n 2007, the state presented increase of 13.8% in the production. The expansion of sugarcane plantationshas happened, mainly, in the Northwestern part of São paulo, where new plants have been created.The municipality of Morro Agudo (SP) is themain nationalproducer. Among the ten main municipalities which produce sugarcane,only one - Barra do Bugres (MT) – is not located in the state of São Paulo.

Coffee harvest falls by 13.3%

In 2007, the overall coffee production was 2,249,011 tons, 13.3% more than in 2006, due to the biennial cycle which characterizes this product, mainly Arabic coffee.

In Minas Gerais, the major national producer (49.0% of the Brazilian production), the biennial cycle reached more significantly the South Region of the state, in which are located the oldest and most traditional crops. In Espírito Santo, the second major coffee producer, the harvest was 617,538 tons, 12.0% bigger than in 2006. As there is, in the state, predominance of conillon coffee (about 60% of the total planted), production is less susceptible to oscillations caused by the biennial nature of coffee crops. Climatic conditions were also a positive contribution. 

In 2007, Jaguaré (ES) surpassed Patrocínio (MG) as the main municipality in terms of coffee production, and Barra do Choça (BA) appeared in the ranking of the ten major producers.

Production of oranges in Paraná increases 23.2%

Another product which can be considered a highlight in 2007 was onions, with national production of 18,684,985 tons. São Paulo, the main producing state (with 79.7 % of the harvest), is where practically all raw material is processed and from where juice is exported. Production in the state in 2007 was 14,904,621 tons, with increase of 3.7% in relation to 2006.

A big concentration of fruit gardens can be seen in the North of São Paulo, and grows through the area known as Triângulo Mineiro Minas Triangle). In Minas Gerais, the production obtained was 583,509 t, 1.9% more than in 2006. Other states which have great relevance in the Brazilian citriculture are Bahia, Sergipe, Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná. Citriculture in the state of Paraná, implemented with high technology, is developing every day and, in 2007, reached a total production of 502,979 tons, 23.2% more than in 2006.

The increase of the quantity of oranges produced was not followed by the value of production, which fell by 3.6% compared to 2006.

Aguaí (SP) reached, in 2007, the first position among the ten main municipalities which produce oranges, surpassing Itápolis (SP), which fell to third place. The only municipality not located in São Paulo in the ranking is Rio Real (BA), which fell from the third position in 2006 to the fourth one in 2007.