Brasília – The grain crop in the 2010/2011 season should reach 149.1 million tonnes, announced today (9) the National Food Supply Company (Conab). According to the third study on the current crop, production should drop 0,1%, or around 200,000 tonnes, as against the previous crop. The forecast is for the cultivated area to reach 48 million hectares, expansion of 1.3% over the previous period.
According to the Conab, the forecasted growth in production is due to the favourable climate to crops like soy, maize, rice and beans. The end of the wheat crop in the southern states also confirms production of 5.78 million tonnes, 15% over the 2009/2010 crop.
Rice production should grow 7.8%, reaching 12.57 million tonnes, despite the 1.2% reduction in the crop area, according to the Conab forecast. Soy should expand 2.6% in area of cultivation, covering 24.08 million hectares, which should result in production of 68.51 million tonnes.
The company informs, however, that maize, the second product in volume in the crop, should present retraction in the first crop, of two that take place each year. The forecast retraction should be 8%, resulting in 31.35 million tonnes, while in the previous cycle the crop was 34.08 million tonnes.
Conab informs that the research was promoted by 51 technicians from November 22nd to 26th. They went out into the field and heard representatives of cooperatives, rural unions, public and private organisations in the South, Southeast and Midwest, as well as the North and Northeast.
*Translated by Mark Ament
