May 06, 2010
Farmers in Parana to Reduce Their 2010 Wheat Acreage
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
As farmers in Parana plant their 2010 winter wheat, they are less than enthusiastic about the crop. The 2009 wheat crop in the state was severely impacted by dry weather when the crop was planted and then by excessive rains when they were trying to harvest the crop. As a result, their wheat yields were very low and the quality of the grain was very poor. Nearly half of the wheat produced in Parana in 2009 was classified as feed wheat due to the poor quality. The state of Parana is the largest wheat producing state in Brazil normally accounting for nearly half of Brazil's total production.
In 2009, farmers in Parana planted 1.3 million hectares of wheat. According to the Rural Economic Department of Parana, the wheat acreage in Parana is expected to decline 12% in 2010 to 1.15 million hectares. Even though the acreage is expected to decline, total production of the crop is expected to surpass last year's crop. In 2009, 2.48 million tons of wheat was produced in the state and that is expected to increase to 3.1 million tons in 2010, or an increase of 24%.
When you combine all the winter grain crops grown in Parana including wheat, oats, canola, and triticale, the total acreage is expected to decline from 1.596 million hectares in 2009 to 1.450 million hectares in 2010. Oats is the only winter grain expected to show an increase acreage in 2010.
Approximately 30% of the Parana wheat crop has been planted, which is ahead of the normal planting pace. The winter grain crops in Parana are usually planted in May or June and harvested in October or November. Wheat is the principal winter grain crop, but wheat production in southern Brazil is almost always a struggle. The primary hurdle to wheat production is usually heavy rains during the time the wheat is being harvested. These heavy rains, coupled with high temperatures, can result in lower seed quality making the wheat unsuitable for milling.