South America Calling

Showers Restart Soy Planting in Brazil's Mato Grosso, Center-West

Light showers over the last four days across Mato Grosso and the rest of Brazil's Center-West have put a spring in the step of farmers, who have seen soybean planting substantially delayed over the last month amid unseasonably dry weather.

"Farmers are extremely relieved that the rain has returned. Everyone was getting very frustrated that they couldn't plant," said Laercio Lenz, president of the Rural Society in Sorriso, Mato Grosso's biggest soy planting district.

Despite rainfall being light to very light in most of the region, many farmers have been out planting soybeans in the first half of the week as they rush to get the crop in the ground in the ideal window.

"Rain didn't fall everywhere, but the forecast of further rain over the weekend has gotten a lot of people into the fields," said Lenz. 

Rain started falling across the state, as well as across neighboring Goias and Mato Grosso do Sul states, on Saturday and extended into Tuesday in some areas.

The showers were light and sporadic, leaving some Mato Grosso farms dry, but precipitation of between 2/5 of an inch to 1 1/2 inches were reported elsewhere.

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The atmospheric block that stopped cold fronts bringing rain to the Center-West for most of October has now been broken down and regular rainfall can be expected over the region from now on, said Marco Antonio dos Santos, meteorologist at Somar, a local weather service.

Over the weekend, more uniform rains are expected across Mato Grosso and surrounding areas, said the meteorologist.

Planting has been dramatically delayed across Mato Grosso since the season started in the second half of September.

As of Friday, the state, which accounts for about 30% of Brazilian soybean production, had planted just 11% of its projected crop, down from 30% last year, according to AgRural, a local farm consultancy.

And a portion of that soy will have to be replanted, although it will only become clear how much over the next few days.

Farmers will be very keen to plant as much soy as possible in what remains of October to capture the best conditions for the crop and allow ample time to plant corn afterward. That will likely lead to an unusually concentrated harvest.

However, some farmers are waiting for more substantial precipitation, hopefully over the weekend, before they risk planting.

For example, most farmers were keeping machinery in the sheds in Novo Mutum, mid-north Mato Grosso, where only 1/4 to 1/2 inch fell, Emerson Zancanaro, local delegate at the Mato Grosso Soybean and Corn Growers Association (Aprosoja-MT), told So Noticias, a local news service.

Field work is also restarting in Parana, the No. 2 soybean state after weekend rains ended an extremely hot, dry spell last week, according to Somar.

As of Friday, Parana had planted 33% of its projected soybean harvest, behind the 40% planted at the same time last year.

Brazil is expected to produce between 92 million metric tons and 96 mmt of soybeans this season.

(AG)

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