Brazilian soybean farmers had completed an estimated 12% of their planting work for the 2017-2018 season as of Oct. 12, consultancy AgRural says. That is in line with the five-year average for the date of 11%, but was behind the 18% reached on the date last year, the group said. Irregular rain in the center-west region delayed planting in many areas, AgRural said, with only 18% finished in the state of Mato Grosso, far behind the 31% finished on the same date last year. Brazil is the world’s second-biggest soybean producer after the US.

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