In April, the production of cereals, legumes and oilseeds for 2020 was estimated at 247.0 million tonnes, 2.3% above the 2019 crops (5.5 million more tonnes) and 0.8% above that reported in the previous month (1.9 million more tonnes). The area to be harvested is 64.5 million hectares, 2.0% above that in 2019 (1.3 million more hectares) and 0.2% above that in the previous month (152.1 thousand hectares).
Rice, corn and soybeans are the three main products in this group, which altogether represented 92.6% of the production estimate and accounted for 87.4% of the area to be harvested. In relation to 2019, the area for corn increased 1.7% – increase of 4.1% in corn - 1st crop and a rise of 0.4% in corn - 2nd crop –, the area for soybeans increased 2.5% and the area for upland cotton, 0.9%, while the area for rice declined 1.9%.

The estimate is of increases of 6.7% for soybeans (121.0 million tonnes) and of 3.5% for rice (10.6 million tonnes) A decrease of 3.4% is expected for corn (growth of 2.2% in corn first-crop and a decrease of 5.4% in corn second-crop), with a production of 97.1 million tonnes (26.6 million tonnes of corn in the first crop and 70.6 million tonnes of corn in the second crop) and a 2.0% decline for upland cotton (6.8 million tonnes).

The regional distribution of the production of cereals, legumes and oilseeds was: Central-West (115.2 million tonnes), South (76.1 million tonnes), Southeast (24.1 million tonnes), Northeast (21.1 million tonnes) and North (10.5 million tonnes). That represents increase in almost all regions. Central-West (3.3%), North (7.0%), Northeast (1.5%) and Southeast (1.4%). The South declined 1.4%. In the distribution of the production by Federation Units, Mato Grosso leads as the biggest national grain producer with a share of 27.9%, followed by Paraná (16.7%), Rio Grande do Sul (11.4%), Goiás (10.4%), Mato Grosso do Sul (8.0%) and Minas Gerais (6.0%). These states together accounted for 80.4% of the national result. In relation to the participation of the Brazilian regions, the distribution was as follows: Central-West (46.6%), South (30.8%), Southeast (9.8%), Northeast (8.5%) and North (4.3%).

Highlights in the April 2020 estimate in relation to March

In April, the highlights were the changes in the following estimates of production in relation to March: wheat (27.7%), barley (11.3%), oat (6.0%), tomatoes (2.3%), sorghum (2.1%), of beans 1st crop (1.6%) and soybeans (0.3%). There were declines in the production of beans 2nd crop (-7.7%), cassava (-1.8%) and corn 2nd crop (-0.2%).

In absolute numbers, the highlights were the changes of  wheat (1.4 million tonnes), soybeans (324.0 thousand tonnes), second crop corn (-114.8 thousand tonnes), tomatoes (88.1 thousand tonnes), sorghum (56.5 thousand tonnes), oats (54.8 thousand tonnes), barley (42.6 thousand tonnes), 1st crop beans (21.2 thousand tonnes), 2nd crop beans (-96.8 thousand tonnes) and cassava (-346.5 thousand tonnes).

WINTER CEREALS (in grain) - The output of wheat was estimated at 6.2 million tonnes, an increase of 27.7% in relation to March. The output estimate was 19.4% bigger in relation to the previous year. The South Region should account for 88.7% of the national triticale production in 2020. The output of Paraná was estimated at 3.5 million tonnes, an increase of 63.2% over the previous month. The average yield and the planted area a increased 55.4% and 5.0%, respectively. Production in Paraná increased 64.1% in relation to 2019. Rio Grande do Sul should produce 1.9 million tonnes, a decline of 17.5% in relation to the previous year and Santa Catarina, 155.1 thousand tonnes.

The production estimate of oat was of 972.1 thousand tonnes, a growth of 6.0% in relation to the previous month. The biggest producers of this cereal are Rio Grande do Sul , with 632.6 thousand tonnes, and Paraná, with 231.5 thousand tonnes. The output should grow 6.6% over 2019.

Concerning barley, the production was estimated at 418.6 thousand tonnes, a growth of 11.3% over March. The biggest producers of this cereal are Paraná, with 286.6 thousand tonnes, and Rio Grande do Sul, with 117.0 thousand tonnes. The output of barley should grow 4.5% over last year.

BEAN (seeds) - The estimate of the Brazilian production was of 3.0 million tonnes, representing a retreat of 2.4% over the previous month. The estimate for the planted area and average yield decreases 0.6% and 1.8%, respectively. Considering the three crops, the largest producers in this survey were Paraná with 22.2%, Minas Gerais with 16.6% and Goiás with 11.3% of participation in the national production. In relation to the annual change, the estimate for the planted areas and for the production was reduced by 4.8% and 1.9%, respectively. The average yield was reduced by 1.4%.

The 1st crop of beans was estimated at 1.4 million tonnes, an increase of 1.6% over March estimate, which represents 21.1 thousand tonnes. Ceará stands out with its increased production at 18.3%, which is equivalent to 17.8 thousand tonnes, due to the growth in the average yield, which was 23.7%. There were increases of 5.8% in the production, of 0.8% in the harvested areas and of 5.0% in the average yield, in relation to the previous year. In this review, the Federation Units with the greatest participation in the production estimate were Paraná (23.8%), Minas Gerais (11.9%) e São Paulo (10.5%).

The 2nd crop of beans was estimated at 1.2 million tonnes, a reduction of 7.7% over March estimate, which reflects the 7.6% lower average yield. Due to a severe drought, there was decline of 22.7% in the production estimate of Paraná (98.2 thousand tonnes). In contrast, Alagoas expects an increase of 10.5% in its production estimate. In terms of annual change, the national production estimate reduced 0.6%. For the average yield, a 5.1% rise is expected and, for the area to be harvested, a decline of 5.4%. The largest production estimates for this crop come from Paraná (28.8%), Bahia (15.9%) and Minas Gerais (14.6%).

For the 3rd crop of beans, the production estimate was of 464.1 thousand tonnes, an increase of 0.6% over March. The planted area also had its estimate increased at 0.5%. The highlight is Goiás, which expects a rise of 1.9% in its production estimate and of 1.8% in its planted area. In relation to the previous year, the estimated production had a reduction of 21.1%, with the area to be planted declining 20.2%.

CASSAVA (roots) - The estimated output was of 18.8 million tonnes, decreasing 1.8% over the previous month. There was reduction of 1.3% in the planted area and of 0.5% in the average yield. In April, the production estimates fell in Acre (-39.0%) and in Rondônia (-5.7%).

The most important increases in the production estimate were in Alagoas (4.1%), Minas Gerais (5.5%) and Paraná (0.3%), although they were not enough to compensate the decline of the North Region production. Not so attractive prices have been discouraging cassava planting.

CORN (grain) - The production estimate grew 0.1% million tonnes, adding up to 97.1 million tonnes. In relation to the previous year, production was smaller by 3.5 million tonnes (-3.4%), with decrease of 5.7% in the average yield and increase of 1.8% in the area to be planted and of 2.4% in the are to be harvested.

In the 1st crop of corn, the production reached 26.6 million metric tons, an increase of 0.8% over March. The output was 2.2% higher than in 2019, the planted area increased 2.3% and the average yield declined 1.9%. The area to be harvested rose 4.1%.

There was increase in Ceará's production (37.6% or 132.6 thousand tonnes), with an increase of 40.5% in the average yield due to favorable weather. Other increases in production were seen in Rondônia (9.5% or 12.3 thousand tonnes), Maranhão (0.8% or 9.4 thousand tonnes) and Paraná (1.8% or 62.0 thousand tonnes). Despite the existing competition Witt soybean planted areas, which normally guarantees more profitability, the growing demand for this cereal kept the prices up, which contributed to the increase of investments in the 1st corn crops.

For the 2nd crop the estimated production was of 70.6 million tonnes, representing a retreat of 0.2% over the previous month. The sharpest reduction in the production estimate was in Paraná (2.0% or 250.3 thousand tonnes). The greatest growths should come from Rondônia (9.0% or 73.6 thousand tonnes), Alagoas (12.7% or 6.5 thousand tonnes) and Goiás (0.6% or 54.9 thousand tonnes). In the annual comparison, the production of corn 2nd crop records a drop of 5.4%.

SOYBEANS (grain) - The production estimate for 2020 totaled 121.0 million tonnes, which  represents an increase of 6.7% over the previous crop. In the monthly update, there was increase of 0.3% in the harvested volume, under the major impact of the data update from  Rondônia and Bahia, and there was a slight reduction in the production in Paraná. With the new data, the estimated national production for the year remains higher than the record of the volume of soybeans posted in 2018.

There was data review in Rondônia, which recorded increase of 196.5 thousand tonnes, which represents a rise of 16.9% in the comparison with the previous year. The average yield of the planting in Bahia, which this year should achieve 3,549kg/ha, was also revised in 2.9%, increasing the production estimate to 159.0 thousand tonnes.

On the other hand, Paraná, the second largest national producer, with the closing of the first harvest, revised the average yield of the crop, registering a decrease of 0.3%, which impacted the reduction of 61.2 thousand tons of grains, in comparison with the production surveyed in March. Even so, the production should hit 20.7 million tonnes in 2020, representing a new record for the state.

In relation to the previous year, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina should register a fall in annual production of 27.7% and 3.5%, respectively, due to a strong drought in the first months of the year. Mato Grosso, which should account for 28.7% of the overall production in Brazil in 2020, expected to harvest 34.7 million tonnes and remains as the biggest national producer.

SORGHUM GRAIN - The estimated production was of 2.7 million tonnes, a rise of 2.1% over the previous month. The average yield recorded growth of 1.2% due to the good weather conditions in some Federation Units. In the Central-West Region, Goiás increased its production estimate by 4.5%. With a production of 1.3 million tonnes, it is the largest Brazilian producer of the cereal, with a share of 47.7% of the national total in 2020.

The sorghum production estimate is 5.9% higher than the production obtained in 2019, mainly influenced by the increase in average yield, estimated at 5.2%. Several Federation Units increased production estimates, among them: Ceará (150.0%), Pernambuco (104.9%), Bahia (22.7%), Mato Grosso (15.2%), Goiás (19, 5%) and the Federal District (58.0%).

TOMATOES - Production is expected to reach 3.9 million tonnes, an increase of 2.3% in relation to that released in March. The positive changes occurred mainly in Paraná (60.2%), Minas Gerais (0.9%) and Rio de Janeiro (0.6%). Despite the increase in April, several factors have negatively affected the crop, such as the high cost of production, which has driven producers away and, consequently, reduced the cultivated area. In relation to the previous year, the drop in production reached 4.8%, with a 3.9% reduction in the planted area.