The National Supply Company (Conab) reported that the Brazilian grain harvest reached a record 271.2 million tons in the 2021/22 harvest. The volume recorded in the cycle was 5.6% higher than in 2020/21 (equivalent to 14.5 million tons). Despite the climatic adversities in some producing regions, mainly in the states of the southern region of the country, this is the largest harvest ever recorded within the historical series of grain production in Brazil.

Soy

The main grain grown in the country, soybean had its development hampered by high temperatures in important producing states, such as Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Mato Grosso do Sul. This adverse weather condition had a severe impact on yields. The soybean harvest stood at 125.6 million tons, a 10% reduction compared to the 2020/21 harvest.

Corn

In the case of corn, there was a recovery in total production which, after last year’s drought, increased by 30% and reached 113.2 million tons. The result was not better only because of the lack of rain in Goiás, São Paulo and Minas Gerais. In these states, in addition to the drought, there were reports of spittlebug attacks on crops, a pest that also affected productivity in Paraná.

Cotton

Cotton cultivation also had its productivity partially affected by lack of water in some areas. Even so, the production estimate exceeds the 2020/21 result by 8.3%, with 2.55 million tons.

Rice and beans

The bean harvest was calculated by Conab at 3 million tons, 3.6% more than in the previous cycle. Rice production reached 10.8 million tons, with a decrease of 8.4% compared to 2020/21, as a result of decreases in area and yield.

Total area

According to Conab, the total area planted with grain in 2021/22 was 74.3 million hectares, with an increase of 0.7% compared to the previous season. The average productivity of crops was 3,650 kilograms per hectare, compared to 3,678 kilograms per hectare in 2020/21.