South America Calling

Throughout much of the growing season thus far, both Argentina and Brazil have been blessed by mostly favorable conditions. Here's where their crops stand so far.

The weather pattern remains favorable for the corn crop in central Brazil.

Argentina's central crop areas dodged late-season dryness with recent rainfall.

A restart to the central Brazil rainy season benefits second-crop (safrinha) corn.

DTN joined a tour of U.S. farmers through parts of Amazonia, Mato Grosso and Parana states in Brazil during the first two weeks in February. Farmers touring Mato Grosso and Parana repeatedly noted their soybean yields were lower than expected, but they had shifted to their...

The return of the rainy season to central Brazil is good news for second-crop corn development but may slow the soybean harvest.

Mato Grosso has some farming advantages with its vast acreage, but the ability to get grain to port, either on the Amazon or direct to ocean port, is a seven-day haul for semi-trucks hauling the state's bounty of agricultural commodities. The government is promising to improve...

Cotton planting has increased for Mato Grosso's safrinha crop as major growers such as Amaggi invest more in cotton infrastructure. At the same time, the U.S. is expected to plant 14.5 million acres of cotton, a 2.9% increase from last year.

Expectations for farmers in Brazil's largest soybean state were high coming off last year's production, but the early returns for soybeans are showing lower overall yields. In some areas, the view is that short-season varieties had a cloudy early growing season while other...

Most of Brazil's soybean areas continue with stressful heat and dryness.

Below average rains and hot weather have stressed Brazil's soybean crop, but central Brazil may get some rain this weekend before returning to a hot, dry pattern again.

Dry and very warm to hot conditions remain stressful for the majority of filling soybeans in Brazil.

Expanding hot and dry weather in Brazil will affect filling soybeans.

Episodes of hot, dry weather in southern Brazil stress soybeans.

Southern Brazil is facing some soybean production loss due to a turn to hot and dry conditions.

Crop areas of south-central Brazil have some stress due to more than a week with no rain.

Seeking to increase domestic crush of soybeans, Brazil has boosted its biodiesel blend to 11% and will eventually bump it up to 15% blend levels nationally.

As DTN's correspondent highlights, farmers in Mato Grosso are pleased with their crops and the weather, and at least some of them think they will harvest soybeans early as Brazilian farmers anticipate high demand from China, which is still embroiled in a trade battle with the...

Central Argentina has recovered well after a drought-affected crop year in 2017-18.

Favorable weather is seen for developing soybeans in central Brazil.