Rio de Janeiro – The national grain crop – cereals, leguminous and oleaginous – may reach 155.6 million tonnes this year, according to March estimates in the Systematic Agricultural Production Study (LSPA) disclosed on Wednesday (6) by the Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The growth is initially forecasted at 4% over the record 2010 crop, which reached 149.7 million tonnes. It also represents growth of 2.9% over the 151.2 million tonnes forecasted in the previous estimate, in February.
According to the IBGE research, the South leads in the estimated grain crops, with 64.9 million tonnes, followed by the Midwest, with 55 million. The Southeast should produce 16.5 million tonnes, the Northeast, 15 million tonnes, and the North, 4.3 million tonnes. In comparison with the 2010 results, the Northeast is the region with the greatest production, 26.2%, followed by the North (7.1%), the Midwest (4.7%) and the South (1.0%). For the Southeast, the forecast is for a reduction of 3.6% in grain production.
Among the states, Paraná is in the leadership in production, with 20.2%, followed by Mato Grosso (19.4%) and Rio Grande do Sul (17.3%). Regarding the crop area, the IBGE estimate is for 48.1 million hectares, with growth of 3.3% over the crop area of 2010. Rice, maize and soy, responsible for 90.8% of national grain production, occupied 82.4% of the crop area.
Thirteen of the 25 agricultural products in the IBGE study presented positive variation in estimated production, as against the previous year. The highlights are cotton seed (63.5%), castor seeds (51.3%) and beans of the 1st crop (27.4%). Among those estimated to have lower crops in the March estimate are oats in grain (25.2% reduction), wheat (a 19.3% drop) and barley in grain (- 12.6%).
*Translated by Mark Ament
