May 26, 2022
Corn Yields Down at Least 35% in Parts of Western Mato Grosso
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
Corn farmers in the municipality of Campo Novo do Parecis in western Mato Grosso started the safrinha corn growing season with high hopes for their crop. The corn was planted within the ideal planting window, there was abundant rainfall during February and early March, and corn prices were high. Unfortunately, the rain ended during the second half of March and there was no rain during April and May. The last significant rain in the municipality was more than 60 days ago.
The president of the Rural Union of Campo Novo do Parecis estimates the corn yields in the municipality will be down by at least 35% or more and that some of the hardest hit fields might not even be harvested. In addition to low yields, the seed quality could be low as well. In a normal year, the average corn yields in the municipality would be in the range of 110 to 115 sacks per hectare (105 to 110 bu/ac).
A few early fields of popcorn are currently being harvested, but the main corn harvest will start in June. The Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural Economics (Imea) estimated that 1.2% of the corn had been harvested in the state as of earlier this week.
The president indicated that farmers are also concerned about their 2022/23 soybean crop, which they will start planting in mid-September. The cost of production continues to increase, fuel prices are record high, freight rates are high, and farmers are having difficulty getting delivery of inputs that they have already purchased such as fertilizers. Some farmers have not even finalized all their input purchases.