Rio de Janeiro – Brazilian production of maize reached 71.1 million tonnes in 2012, with growth of 27.7%, and exceeded soy (65.9 million tonnes), the leader since 2002, due to a 12% break in production caused by droughts in the South and Northeast of the country. The figures are part of the Municipal Agricultural Production study disclosed on Friday (25) by the Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
The study shows that a lower crop in the United States, the world’s largest maize producer, was the main stimulus for the expansion in the Brazilian maize cultivation area, which grew by 1.5 million hectares (10.7%) alongside investment in technology.
The greatest growth in the culture was identified in the Midwest, which did not suffer with the drought. Paraná, the main rice producer, with a 23.3% share in the country’s crop, increased production by 32.7% in comparison with 2011. Mato Grosso presented the greatest growth in production, 101.5% more than in the previous year and was the main producer in the second maize crop (38.3 million tonnes), which exceeded the first crop (32.8 million tonnes) for the first time in history.
*Translated by Mark Ament
