SAO PAULO, Oct 16 (Reuters) – Brazilian soy producers had planted 12 percent of their 2017/2018 crop through last Thursday, in line with a five-year average but behind the pace of the prior cycle, amid lack of rain in key producing regions, consultancy AgRural said on Monday.
The weekly advance could have been more significant if not for a slower pace in the center-west region, where in some places work had halted completely with irregular rains slowing farmers, AgRural said.
“Planters entered the field in the beginning of last week when there was still soil humidity but they gradually stopped due to lack of rains and the absence of higher volumes predicted for the coming two weeks,” AgRural said.
The government predicts Brazil’s soy output at between 106 million tonnes and 108.2 million tonnes in the 2017/18 period, lower than the 114 million tonnes in the prior cycle as the excellent weather conditions will not be repeated in the current crop.
Brazil’s five-year average for soy planting is 11 percent for this time of the year, AgRural said. Due to near-perfect weather in the 2016/17 cycle, farmers had planted 18 percent of the area at this time last year, marking one of the fastest paces in history, the consultancy said.
In Mato Grosso, Brazil’s largest soy producing state, farmers had planted 18 percent of the area, way below last year’s 31 percent but above the five-year historical average of 15 percent, the consultancy said.
In Mato Grosso do Sul and Goiás, planting reached 14 percent and 3 percent, respectively. Both states are behind in planting compared with last year but are in line with a five-year average.
“The slow pace of the work does not necessarily mean soy will lose area or potential yields but it worries producers who plant corn in January,” AgRural said.
In Paraná, Brazil’s second-largest soy producer last season, abundant rains interspersed with sunny weather paved the way for the quick advancement of planting, guaranteeing favorable conditions for the initial development of the crop, according to the consultancy.
Through Oct. 12, 30 percent of the soy area had been planted in Paraná, below the 39 percent of last year but in line with a five-year average of 29 percent, AgRural said. (Reporting by Ana Mano; Editing by Bill Trott)