Brazilian farmers plant 85% of soybean area, but will harvest less due to climate

SAO PAULO, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Planting of the soybean crop in the 2023/24 season reached 85% of the estimated area for Brazil as of Thursday last week, compared to 74% the previous week and 91% in the same period last year, according to an AgRural survey issued on Monday. Work is progressing in the world's largest producer and exporter of the oilseed amid excessive rains in the south of the country and a drought in the center-west, which not only disrupted planting but reduced yield and production potential in the first weeks of the season, AgRural said. The pace of planting work improved compared to the previous week, AgRural highlighted, citing notable progress in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, where soybean producers were able to begin sowing fields in the intervals between heavy rains. The north and northeast of Brazil also made relatively good progress during the week ending last Thursday, but erratic rainfall continued to make planting difficult in many parts of the region, ...