Brazil’s corn harvest is forecast at 113 million tonnes for the 2021-22 marketing year, down 4 million tonnes on disappointing first-crop volumes, according to a Global Agricultural Information Network report from the Foreign Agricultural Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
This is reported by ProAgro, citing World-Grain.
Brazil’s corn exports were lowered by 1 million tonnes, to 42 million tonnes, the report said, while imports remain above average levels, though they will continue to be sourced mostly from the Mescour trading bloc.
The La Niña weather phenomenon created long periods of drought in November and December 2021, which occurred right as corn crops in the south of the country were pollinating and filling grain. The USDA now forecasts first-season corn to total about 23.5 million tonnes in 2021-22. First crop, one of three corn seasons in Brazil, accounts for 25% of the South American nation’s marketing year total.
The USDA slightly revised up its forecast for corn planted area for the 2021-22 marketing year to 21 million hectares, an expansion of 5.5% on the current season. The USDA forecasts overall yield for the 2021-22 season at 5.38 tonnes per hectare.
“The forecast, if realized, would represent more than 30% increase in production over Post’s estimate for the marketing year 2020-21 season, as well as a new corn harvest record for Brazil,” the USDA said.
