Production grows in 2025, but milling is not optimized

The increase in cassava planting over the last two years, driven by high prices and the migration of grain areas in some regions, resulted in a greater supply of roots in 2025, particularly in the first half of the year. However, in the second half of the year, there was a slight reduction in availability due to climatic adversities. On balance, average prices exceeded those of 2024, but high costs limited the profitability for the producer. Estimates from the IBGE indicate a 9.4% growth in the national production of cassava in 2025, to 20.8 million tons. This advancement stems from a 5.8% increase in the harvested area, calculated at 1.3 million hectares, coupled with a 3.4% gain in average productivity, to 16 t/ha. It should be noted that the productive expansion is expected to occur in all Brazilian regions. In the main cassava-producing states for starch – Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sul, and São Paulo – the volume is expected to grow by 12.6%, totaling 7.4 million tons, equivalent ...