Brazilian farmers plant 20 percent of soya area

Brazilian farmers have planted 20 percent of the expected soya area so far in the 2017-18 crop, consultancy AgRural said on Friday, with some producers expressing concern regarding the progress of works due to a lack of rains in key producing regions. Planting is roughly in line with a five-year average of 19 percent for this period of the year, but behind last year's level of 29 percent due to weather factors, the consultancy said.
In the Center-West, irregular rains continue to hamper the sowing work. After planting had almost ground to a halt at the end of last week in Mato Grosso, works resumed on Tuesday after it rained in certain parts of Brazil's largest soya producing state. Some producers have started talking about the need to re-plant the soya in some regions, AgRural said, adding it has yet to assess the extent of the areas where farmers may have had to re-plant the oilseed.
Rodrigo Oliveira, a farmer in Sorriso, Mato Grosso state, told Reuters producers there have not started re-planting in that region yet. "But the situation is critical. We are standing by waiting for rain. There are areas where planting has not started. Mine is late and stalled," he said. Even with 27 percent of the expected area planted in Mato Grosso through last Thursday, the state lags behind the 47 percent level of last year, according to AgRural data. Yet the state is roughly in line with a five-year planting average for this time of the year, it said.
"It is early to gauge the impact of a lack of rains on the crop," Daniel Latorraca, superintendent at research agency Imea, said. But farmers are worried about re-planting, and there is also the potential impact the winter corn, cultivated as a rotation crop after soya, he said.
At the same time Parana farmers are the most advanced in the country, with 53 percent of the area planted in the state. With favourable soil humidity levels, neighbouring Santa Catarina's planting also advanced to 22 percent of the area, AgRural said. "In both states, planting is more advanced than last year and above the five-year average," the consultancy said.