2016/17 Brazil Soybean Planting 2%, Argentine Corn Planting 15%

Last week was the first full week during which Brazilian farmers were allowed to start planting their 2016/17 soybean crop and nationwide, the Brazilian soybean crop is approximately 2% planted compared to 1% last year and 2.5% average.

The state of Mato Grosso is the largest soybean producing state in Brazil and it is usually the first state to plant a significant amount of soybeans in Brazil. There were numerous showers across the state last week which encouraged many farmers in the state to start planting. The rainfall amounts this week will be limited, but more rain is in the forecast for next week. The rains in eastern Mato Grosso have not been as widespread, but there are more chances of rain in the forecast. Other farmers though in Mato Grosso are still waiting for enough soil moisture to start planting and it looks they might receive it next week.

The Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural Economics (Imea) reported last Friday that 1.2% of the soybeans in the state had been planted compared to 0.5% at this time last year. The early planting weather in Mato Grosso is improved compared to last year when dry conditions delayed the onset of the soybean planting.

The second largest soybean producing state after Mato Grosso is Parana and the Department of Rural Economics (Deral) reported late last week that the soybeans in Parana are 3% planted. Farmers started plating on as soon as the soybean-free period ended on September 15th, but some of those same farmers have now stopped planted concerned about the drying conditions. There is not much rain in the forecast for the state this week and soybean planting in the state will remain slow until there are additional showers. The forecast is calling for showers to return to the state during the first week of October with many farmers waiting until then to resume planting.

In the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, farmers have planted an estimated 3% of their intended 2016/17 soybean acreage.

Farmers in Argentina took advantage of the dryer conditions to start planting their 2016/17 corn crop. The Buenos Aires Grain Exchange reported that 15% of the corn had been planted by late last week. Most of the corn planting activity is occurring in the central and eastern production regions especially in Santa Fe and Entre Rios. This represented an advance of 8.5% for the week. This is ahead of last year when 7% of the corn was planted and the average of 5%. The very first corn that was planted was in far northeastern Argentina where the corn is now in the 2-5 leaf stage (V2-V5). The early condition of the corn in Argentina is rated as good.

The corn acreage in Argentina is uncertain and we may not have a more accurate assessment of the corn acreage until the second phase of corn planting is complete next January. The corn in Argentina is planted in two phases. The planting of the first phase will end about the end of October and then not much corn will be planted in November and the second phase of corn planting will start in December. For example, the 2015/16 corn crop in Argentina was 33% planted November 1st last year, 38% planted on December 1st, 70% planted on January 1st, and all the corn was planted by the end of January.