São Paulo – Brazilian agriculture should have a good year, according to estimates issued today (7th) in the country’s capital, Brasília, by the National Food Supply Company (Conab) and the Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics (IBGE). According to the Conab, the grain crop should total 141.35 million tonnes, representing growth 4.6% compared with the previous one.
The Conab informed that its forecast takes into consideration the good weather conditions from October to December last year, which favoured the development of cotton, bean, maize and soy crops.
The survey was conducted from December 14th to 18th and also showed that planted area in the country is 47.88 million hectares, 208,000 hectares (0.4%) more than in the previous crop. Soy, however, was the only culture for which planted area has increased.
In Rio de Janeiro, the IBGE disclosed its own crop estimate for grain, leguminous and oleaginous plants, which should reach 140.7 million tonnes, representing growth of 5.2% over the total figure calculated by the institute for the previous crop.
The estimated planted area is 48.1 million hectares, representing growth of 2%. The IBGE forecasts an increase in production of bean, coffee, soy and potato.
The difference between the figures announced by the IBGE and the Conab is due to the periods surveyed. The IBGE surveys the crop from January to December, whereas the Conab adopts the so-called crop-year, which runs from August to July.
*With information from Agência Brasil. Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
