Record harvest of safrinha corn in Brazil

reach a record 103.4 million tonnes, up from 101.5 million tonnes previously. Brazil’s second crop of corn, which accounts for about 80% of the country’s total production this year, is sown after the soybean harvest on the same land. The bulk of this crop is exported in the second half of the year, competing with US corn suppliers on global markets. According to AgRural, as of Thursday, farmers in the central-southern region of Brazil had harvested 18% of the second crop area, up 5 percentage points from the previous week but still well below the 49% recorded at the same time last year. Frosts and rains last week have complicated field operations in some regions of Brazil, raising concerns about grain yields and quality. The northern state of Paraná was hardest hit by the frost, while the southern state of Mato Grosso do Sul, western Paraná and southern São Paulo suffered less damage. Mato Grosso remains the leading corn harvest region, followed closely by Paraná. Farmers are ...