Brazilian farmers in the center-south have harvested 70% of their second corn, which is planted after soybeans are harvested in the same fields, according to an estimate by agribusiness consultancy AgRural on Monday.

Though the work advanced faster than in previous weeks, farmers are still behind last year, when 77% of their second corn fields had been harvested at this time in the cycle, AgRural said.

Mato Grosso farmers have finished their work while growers in Minas Gerais and São Paulo made progress in recent days. In Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul, harvesting delays persisted but not to a worrying point.

On the other hand in Paraná, where the drought and then frosts spoiled the crop, harvesters could not advance much as grain moisture remained high, especially in the north of the state. “In the west and southwest of Paraná … quality problems caused by frosts abounded, with reports of loads leaving the fields with up to 40% of damage,” AgRural said.

There are also quality issues in fields in Mato Grosso do Sul, but they are less serious than in Paraná, the consultancy said.

Last month, AgRural cut its second corn production estimate to 51.6 million tonnes in the center south, with a drop of almost 26 million tonnes compared with the initial estimate made last October.

As a result, Brazil’s total production estimate for corn this season was reduced to 82.2 million tonnes from 102.6 million tons in 2019/2020, AgRural said.