Mar 16, 2023

Safrinha Corn in Parana 61% Planted

Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.

Farmers in Parana took advantage of a couple of days of sunny weather last week to ramp up their safrinha corn planting. According to the Department of Rural Economics (Deral), the safrinha corn in the state is now 61% planted, which represents an advance of 24% for the week. The slowest safrinha corn planting is in the northern and west-central regions of the state. Even with this advance, the safrinha corn planting in the state is still the slowest in the last seven years.

Last week was a particularly good week for planting given the fact that the state had two sunny days and a little less rainfall. Deral indicated that the corn was 43% germinating and 57% in vegetative development. The corn is rated 1% average and 99% good. Deral expects the farmers in the state to plant 2.63 million hectares of safrinha corn (6.49 million acres).

Some farmers are planting their safrinha corn outside the recommended window because they had already purchased their inputs. Others are opting for an alternative crop such as wheat because late planted safrinha corn cannot be covered under crop insurance.

Late planted safrinha corn can be more susceptible to an early frost which is what happened in 2021. The 2023 corn is being planted even later than the 2021 crop, so any frost before mid-July could negatively impact the crop.

Farmers in the state have harvested 43% of the first corn crop with 80% of the remaining corn maturing and 20% filling grain. The corn still in the field is rated 1% poor, 16% average and 83% good.