The seventh estimate of 2018 for the national crops of cereals, legumes and oilseeds totaled 226.8 million metric tons, 5.7% lower than that of 2017 (240.6 million metric tons), with decrease of 13.8 million metric tons. The area to be harvested will be of 61.2 million hectares, almost the same as that of the previous year, with increase of 12.161 hectares over 2017 (0.02%).

Rice, corn and soybeans accounted for 93.0% of the production estimate and for 87.0% of the area to be harvested. In relation to 2017, there was an increase of 2.5% in the area of soybean and reductions of 7.1% in the corn area and 5.4% in the rice area. Regarding production, there was a decrease of 16.7% for corn and 7.3% for rice, with an increase of 1.2% for soybeans.

In relation to June, production fell by 0.5% (-1.1 million tons), with the area falling by 18,848 hectares (-0.03%). Much of this decline is due to second-crop corn, which reduced by 876,509 metric tons (-1.5%).

Among the Federation Units, Mato Grosso is the largest national grain producer, with a share of 26.5%, followed by Paraná (15.8%) and Rio Grande do Sul (14.3%). Together, these three states accounted for 56.6% of the national total. The LSPA support material is on the right of this page.

Among the Major Regions, the production volume of cereals, legumes and oilseeds had the following distribution: Central-West, 100.5 metric tons; South, 74.5 metric tons; Southeast, 22.8 metric tons; Northeast, 20.4 metric tons and North, 8.6 metric tons. Compared to the previous crop, there was an increase of 14.0% in the Northeast Region and a decrease of 6.9% in the Central-West Region, 5.1% in the South Region, 4.8% in the Southeast Region and 2.9% in the North Region.

July estimate for June 2018

In July, the following production estimates stood out in relation to June: upland cotton (1.3%), corn - 1st crop (0.3%), soybeans (0.1%), beans - 1st crop (-1.5%), tomatoes (-2.1%), sorghum (-2.5%), cassava (-3.6%), wheat (-4.1% ), bean seed - 2nd crop (-4.6%) bean seed - 3rd crop (-7.5%). In the absolute changes, the positive highlights were: soybean (96,443 t), corn - 1st crop (80,423 t) and upland cotton (59,042 t). The negative highlights were: bean seed - 1st crop (17,285 t), bean seed - 2nd crop (56,309 t), bean seed - 3rd crop (41,402 t), sorghum (59,421 t), tomatoes (93,746 t), wheat (234,306 t) and corn – 2^nd crop (876,509 t).

UPLAND COTTONSEED – The estimated production reached 4.8 metric tons, up 1.3% from June, while the average yield rose 1.7%. Mato Grosso expects to harvest 3.2 metric tons, up 1.4% and 2.1% in the average yield. Bahia expects to harvest 1.1 metric tons, up 1.2% from June, with a 1.3% increase in the average yield. In Mato Grosso, the planted area reached 760.0 thousand hectares, up 23.3% over 2017. In Bahia, the planted area reached 267.2 thousand hectares, an increase of 30.9%. This growth, together with the good weather conditions, provided a 24.5% increase in production, compared to 2017.

BEANS (seed) – With the revisions in July, 3.3 metric tons, 0.5% less than in 2017, must be harvested. Climatic adversities have reduced the average yield, which in 2018 is 2.9% lower than in 2017. The most intense reductions compared to June occurred in Bahia (19.8%), Pará (11.5%) and São Paulo (9.0%).

The estimate for the 1st crop was 1.6 million metric tons, representing a fall of 1.1% in relation to the June estimate. This harvest should participate with 48.7% of the total bean production. In relation to 2017, production should grow 2.0% and the area to be harvested, 4.4%.

The 2nd crop was estimated at 1.2 metric tons, a decrease of 4.6% in relation to June. There were decreases of 0.5% in the area to be harvested and of 4.1% in the average yield. The 2nd crop should participate with 35.7% of the country's total bean production. In relation to 2017, the estimate of this harvest shows a decrease of 1.5%, with an increase of 1.4% of the area to be harvested and a decline of 3.0% of the average yield.

For the 3rd crop, a production of 512.3 thousand metric tons is expected, with a drop of 7.5% in relation to June. The planted area and area to be harvested fell 7.2% and the average yield fell 0.3%. The estimated production declined by 5.8% compared to the 3rd crop of 2017, and in 2018, it must participate with 15.6% of the total bean crop of the country.

CASSAVA (root) – The estimated production of 20.0 metric tons is 3.6% lower than in the previous month. There were reductions of 1.1% in the area to be harvested and 2.5% in the average yield, respectively. Altogether, there was a reduction of 750.8 thousand metric tons in the production estimate for 2018, compared to June. The largest reductions in production occurred in the North (-5.5%) and Northeast Regions (-5.7%).

CORN (grain) - In relation to June, the production estimate was 1.0% lower. There was a decrease of 1.2% in the national average yield. After the record harvest of 2017, the production estimate in 2018 declined 16.7%, totaling 82.9 metric tons.

The 1st crop of corn has already been harvested. In July, there was a 0.3% increase in production, mainly due to the increase in the estimated production of Bahia (2.5% or 46.8 thousand metric tons) and Ceará (9.1% or 36.3 thousand metric tons). The planted area covered 5.1 million ha, with a decline of 9.6% compared to 2017, as soybean offered a better cost-benefit ratio at the time.

For the 2nd crop, in many of the regions, the planting was delayed due to the late rainfall. Production is estimated at 56.9 million metric tons, in an area of ​​11.5 million ha. In the month, the estimate of production (-1.5%) and the average yield (-2.0%) fell.

SOYBEANS (grain) - In the 2018 crop, the Brazilian soybean production hit another record in the IBGE's time series. On the whole, the country harvested 116.4 metric tons, an increase of 1.2% over 2017. Despite the delayed rains, during the planting season of the summer harvest, after the rainy season, only in the South Region was there reduction in the production (-7.2%), Paraná (-2.8%) and Santa Catarina (-1.9%), due to the scarce rainfall.

SORGHUM (grain) – The estimated sorghum production was 2.3 metric tons, down 2.5% from June. The planted area and the area to be harvested presented a retraction of 0.9%, and the average yield had a reduction of 1.6%. In relation to 2017, the estimate of the production of sorghum should grow 8.8%, with the planted area and the area to be harvested up 8.7% and 9.3%, respectively.

TOMATOES - Brazilian tomato production is expected to reach 4.4 metric tons, down 2.1% from the previous month. The planted area and the area to be harvested presented retraction of 1.7%, while the average yield, a decline of 0.3%. In relation to 2017, tomato production increased by 1.4%, reflecting the 0.6% increase in the area to be harvested and 0.7% in the average yield.

WHEAT (grain) - The estimate for Brazilian wheat production in the current harvest is 5.4 metric tons, a 4.1% reduction in relation to the previous month. Although the area planted and the area to be harvested increased by 0.9%, the average yield declined by 5.0%, due to climatic problems faced by the crops. In 2018, an increase in production of 28.1% is still expected in relation to 2017, a year in which unfavorable weather markedly damaged the Rio Grande and Paraná crops.

July estimate in relation to production in 2017

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 - COMEAs and/or Regional Commissions - COREAs. The latter are consolidated at state level by the Agriculture Statistics Coordinating Groups - GCEAs 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 the IBGE and from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply - MAPA.

Due to users’ needs of harvest data, the surveys relative to Cereals (rice, corn, oat, rye, barley, sorghum, wheat and triticale), Legumes (peanuts and beans) and Oilseeds (cotton seed, castor beans, soybeans and sunflower) 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 March, 2007) of harmonization of official harvest estimates for the main Brazilian crops.