Brazil soybean sowing advances to 43% of estimated area -AgRural – Reuters News

6 de novembro 2017 | Na Mídia

SAO PAULO, Nov 3 (Reuters) – With the confirmation of rain showers over Brazil’s Center-West region, soybean planting advanced to 43 percent of the estimated area through Thursday, consultancy AgRural said on Friday referring to the 2017/18 crop cycle.

Though a significant increase from last week, soy planting is behind the level of 53 percent of the area at the same period in the prior crop cycle, AgRural said, citing last year’s near-perfect weather conditions.

Brazil’s soy planting is, however, roughly in line with a five-year average of 44 percent for this period of the year, the consultancy said.

“There are areas which still lack humidity in the Center-West, especially in the state of Goiás, though weather forecasts indicate rains over the next few days,” the statement said.

AgRural estimates Brazil’s total soybean area at 34.6 million hectares.

Mato Grosso, Brazil’s leading soy state, planted 61 percent of its area through Thursday, up from 43 percent last week. Still, the state is way below last year’s level of 81 percent. Mato Grosso’s five-year average is 62 percent for planting at this time of the year, AgRural noted.

In Goiás state, where planting work was more severely affected by the drought, sowing jumped to 33 percent of the area from a mere 6 percent a week ago, AgRural said.

Goiás is still way below 2016’s planting levels of 69 percent, while somewhat closer to a five-year average of 46 percent, the statement said.