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Brazil Soy Planting Winding Down

Soybean planting activity is now winding down in Brazil after favorable weather allowed producers to make good progress last week.

Estimates from three private analysts in Brazil put planting progress at 89%-91% at the end of last week, vs. a five-year average of 90-92%. The firms pegged planting progress for the week at 11-14 percentage points.

This week’s weather is expected to be mostly favorable for crop conditions.

Heavy rains are forecast over southern soy states early this week, but the region should then turn drier through mid-December, according to the Brazilian meteorologist Somar. The center-west soybean belt is expected to dry out after receiving significant rainfall last week.

While crop conditions are good over most of Brazil’s growing areas, Asian soybean rust remains a major concern.

Government crop researchers reported last week that Asian rust had spread to commercial soybean fields in Mato Grosso and in Goias state from Parana.

The government crop research agency Embrapa said the fungus was also found in test fields in Rio Grande do Sul and Maranhao states.

In Lucas do Rio Verde, in Mato Grosso state, one of 25 districts hit by soy rust, producers are already spraying fungicide to protect their soybean crops.

Editors note: Richard Brock, The Corn and Soybean Digest's Marketing Editor, is president of Brock Associates, a farm market advisory firm, and publisher of The Brock Report.

To see more market perspectives, visit Brock's Web site at www.brockreport.com.