South America Calling

The weather forecast projects much of South America to be well-watered by the end of December.

At a conference in downtown Washington, D.C., Brazilian agribusiness groups sought to shift the narrative by highlighting "sustainable food" and a "science-based model" for agriculture. They also strongly criticized the view that fires in the Amazon continue to happen because of...

Cargill, the largest private company in the U.S., is increasingly under pressure for its sourcing of soybeans and other agricultural commodities in Brazil. At least one environmental group has branded Cargill the "worst company on the planet" after Cargill came out and said it...

The Brazilian government announced it will allow more ethanol imported from the United States before a 20% tariff kicks in.

As U.S. farmers hear more troubling news about trade disputes with China, the largest Chinese grain and oilseed company, COFCO, plans to buy more Brazilian soybeans over the next five years and help finance Brazilian farmers to expand production on more than 60 million...

One year after a weather-reduced corn crop, Brazil picked a good time to achieve record production.

Central Brazil continues to see a very favorable weather pattern providing moisture for second-crop corn.

Showers and thunderstorms help second-crop corn in central Brazil, while dry weather helps Argentina's harvest.

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.