Brazil harvests largest grain crop in 2011

Brazil says it has had the biggest grain harvest in its history, of nearly 160 million tonnes in 2011, and has forecasted a further rise for 2012.

The cereal, pulse and oilseed harvest beat 2010’s harvest by more than 10 million tonnes, probably because the land for harvest has grown nearly 5% in size to 48.7 million hectares.

This year it is predicted Brazil will harvest 160.3 million tonnes, about 0.3% more than last year’s harvest.

The regional breakdown of cereal, pulse and oilseed production in 2011 was as follows:

South: 67.6 million tons (up 5.3% year-on-year)

Central West: 56.0 million tons (up 6.7% year-on-year)

Southeast: 17.2 million tons (up 0.6% year-on-year)

Northeast: 14.7 million tons (up 25.1% year-on-year)

North: 4.3 million tons (up 7.6% year-on-year)

Tthe state of Paraná led national grain production, with a 19.7% share; followed by Mato Grosso (19.5% share) and Rio Grande do Sul (18.5% share).

However, nine of the 25 crops recorded a year-on-year decline in production, including: the second harvest of peanuts (-39.8%); oats in grain (-7.4%); coffee beans (-7.1%); sugarcane (-11.7%); onions (-9.8%); the second harvest of beans in grain (-7.4%);the third harvest of beans in grain (-8.2%); the second harvest of corn grain (-4.6%); and wheat grain (-6.5%).