South America Calling

Brazil's soybean planting accelerated dramatically this past week following ample showers in the key center-west region.

Planting jumped 15 percentage points in seven days to reach 34% complete as of last Friday, according to Ag Rural, a local farm consultancy.

Farmers have invested heavily in machinery over the past five years, allowing them to catch up with field work after a slow start in late September and early October. As a result, planting is now actually one percentage point ahead of the five-year average for this stage of the season.

Planting was particularly quick in the north of Mato Grosso, Brazil's No. 1 soybean producing state, amid alternating periods of rain and sun. Statewide, planting reached 53% of projected area, up from 30% the previous week.

Similarly, planting progressed quickly in neighboring Goias, the No. 4 soy state, after showers finally arrived to break the winter dry season. Planted area rose from 7% to 38% of the projected area for the state in the seven days to Friday, according to AgRural, and is now in line with five-year averages for this stage of the harvest.

One early-planting region where rains did arrive in timely fashion was western Parana. Nearly 8 inches have fallen in the region in October, and approximately 95% of the soybean crop has already been planted. Looking at Parana as a whole, planting is 50% complete, up 10 percentage points from the week before.

While the season may have gotten off to a slow start, soybean farmers everywhere say the crop is developing well.

However, the early appearance of the Helicoverpa armigera bollworm is causing concern in Mato Grosso. Many farmers in the north of the state are already spraying to control the pest, which caused major damage to soy crops in western Bahia last year, said AgRural.

Rainfall will ease across Brazil's soybean belt this week, according to Somar Meteorologia, a local weather service, but soil moisture levels in planting regions are generally now good enough for that not to be a problem.

One area that does need some rain, southern Mato Grosso, will likely receive it from a cold front due over the region this week, said Somar.

Brazil's Agriculture Ministry pegs the 2013-14 soybean crop at 87.6 million to 89.7 million metric tons (mmt), up from 81.5 mmt last year.

Alastair Stewart can be reached at alastair.stewart@telventdtn.com

(AG)

© Copyright 2013 DTN/The Progressive Farmer. All rights reserved.