MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Brazil forecasts crop will reach a record 148.9 million tons in 2010 farm year

Soybeans with 68.7 million tons are almost half the total harvest

Brazil forecasts a record crop of cereals and oilseeds totalling 148.9 million tons, the largest ever, according to the latest release from the Brazilian Geography and Statistics Institute, IBGE.

The latest release is based on data collected by IBGE staff in the field during September and marks an increase over August data (148 million tons) in spite of continuing drought in several farm states of the country.

This year’s harvest will be 11.9% greater than in 2009 (134 million) and is expected to break the 2008 record of 145.9 million tons.

The figures also show that the volume will be greater in spite of a 1.1% fall in the cultivated area over last year’s 46.7 million hectares.

The excellent performance is boosted by the soy bean crop of which Brazil is the world’s second largest producer and main exporter, and corn, although rice is expected to suffer a minor contraction.

The three items make up 91.1% of the total cereal and oilseed production of Brazil.

The soybeans volume is expected to increase 20.6% with a record 68.7 million tons, while corn is forecasted to increase 8.5% to 55.6 million tons and rice will be down 10.5%.

The wheat crop totals 5.5 million tons, 10% up from last year. Other crops increases include oats (37%); cacao (3.2%); coffee (14.8%); sugar cane (1.3%); onions (7.7%); barley (32.7%); oranges (3.8%) and cassava, (0.2%).

The cotton crop is expected to reach 2.9 million tons, which is 1.2% less than the August estimate because of the lack of rainfall which struck mainly the states of Matto Grosso and Bahia, the main producers of the fibre in Brazil.

Sorghum is also forecasted to drop 13.7%.