SAO PAULO: Soybean planting has reached 80% of the area in Brazil, a big leap from last week’s 69% but still behind last year, when an estimated 86% of the crop had been sown at this juncture, according to agribusiness consultancy AgRural on Monday.

In the Center West, a top growing region where planting has virtually ended, the irregular rains have concerned some growers even after more rainfall was registered last week.

“Although the rains were very welcome, the volumes and distribution were not enough to bring relief to all dry areas,” AgRural said. It added there are still “pockets of low humidity” in the west and mid-north of states like Mato Grosso, and in parts of Rondonia, Minas Gerais and Goias. According to AgRural, the situation is not expected to threaten yield potential of the crops as long as these certain regions receive more rains in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile later-calendar states of the southern, northern and northeastern soy farms of Brazil are still planting soy, AgRural said. Brazil is also sowing its first, or summer corn crop, which represents about 25% of national production in a given year.