Producers have sold 59 percent of Brazil's 2004/05 soyabean crop, which is at peak harvest, compared with 65 percent sold a year ago, analysts Celeres said on Monday. Last week, 58 percent of Brazil's crop had been sold. In the centre-west, 66 percent of the crop has been sold, compared with 77 percent at the same time last year. But in the south only 45 percent have been sold, against 48 percent last year. "Lack of producer selling has created problems for producers in some regions where there is a lack of supplies to operate factories or fulfils export contracts," Celeres said in a weekly report.
Producers have delayed selling due to sharply lower prices this year. But in view of a possible large new US soyabean crop, Celeres said that there was more chance of prices falling than rising.
The report added that 79 percent of Brazil's crop had been harvested, up 12 percentage points from last week and the same as a year ago.