CORN IN DANGER

24 de abril 2018 | Na Mídia

Brazil’s second crop was planted later than normal this year and now faces lack of rain

The second corn crop, also known as “safrinha”, represents about 70% of Brazil’s total corn production. It is planted right after the soybean harvest, between early January and early March. This year, however, several areas were planted later than normal, since the soybean harvest was behind schedule.

Planting the second corn crop after the optimal window is risky, because rains usually get scarce in south-central Brazil in May and June, during pollination and grain filling. Freezing temperatures in Paraná and southern Mato Grosso do Sul are another common threat to the crop.

To make things worse, the dry season started earlier than normal now in 2018. Several areas have received too little rainfall since early April and forecasts show only small amounts for most producing regions. Farmers are concerned about their yields especially in western Paraná, where more than half of the crop is in reproductive stages.

In early April, Brazilian consultancy AgRural forecasted the second corn production at 63.6 million tons, based on a 4.3% annual drop in planted area and trend line yields. In May, trend lines will be replaced by actual yield estimates.

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