Maize production in Brazil is expected to be much lower than last year

18-Jun-2024 04:08 PM

Rio de Janeiro. Brazil's government agency - CONAB has projected the total domestic production of maize during the 2023-24 season to be 1141.40 lakh tonnes,

which is 25 lakh tonnes more than the May report's estimate of 1116.40 lakh tonnes but much less than the 2022-23 season's production of 1318.70 lakh tonnes.

The maize sowing area also decreased by 6.4 percent from 222.70 lakh hectares last year to 208.40 lakh hectares this time, which increased the possibility of a decline in production.

According to CONAB, the average yield rate of maize in the 2022-23 season was recorded at 5.92 tonnes per hectare, whereas in the current season of 2023-24, the average productivity rate is 5.48 tonnes per hectare based on the sowing area and potential production.

The interesting fact is that the figure of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is different. USDA has estimated the production of 1220 lakh tonnes of maize in Brazil in the 2023-24 season.

It has expressed the possibility of a decline of only 4 percent in its sowing area, while the average yield rate of maize is expected to be 5.67 tonnes per hectare, which is 3.5 percent more than the estimated yield rate of CONAB.

Maize is cultivated in Brazil in three seasons. More than 70 percent of the maize is produced there in the Safrinha season.

Its sowing has already ended and the preparation for harvesting the crop is going to start in the next two-three weeks.

CONAB has expressed the possibility of production of 881.16 lakh tonnes of maize in Brazil during the Safrinha season,

which is 2.3 percent more than the estimate of May but about 14 percent less than the 2023 production of 1021.64 lakh tonnes.

Brazil is the second largest exporter and third largest producer of maize in the world. There the harvesting preparation for the first or full season's crop has already been completed.