Soy: Parana ends planting, crops weaker

Soybean planting in Brazil's southern state of Parana is virtually completed, but crops are in worse condition than the prior cycle due to drought in the prior two months.

Sowing advanced 2 percentage points over the last week, reaching 98pc of the 5.5mn hectares (13.6mn acres) expected for the current 2019-20 season, Parana Department of Rural Economics (Deral-PR) said today. Planting also covered 98pc of the 2018-19 acreage by this time last year.

Of the crop's stage of development, 77pc were classified as "good", versus 97pc a year ago.

Nevertheless, soybean output in the state may total a near-record of 19.82mn metric tonnes, up by 23pc from last year as 2018-19 crops were hampered by hot, dry weather later in that season.

Parana is Brazil second-largest soy producing state, behind only Mato Grosso.

By José Roberto Gomes