Brazil New Soy Crop Seen at Record 178 Million Tons, Conab Says

By Ana Mano

SAO PAULO, Oct. 14 (Reuters) – Brazilian farmers are expected to harvest a record 177.64 million metric tons of soybeans in the 2025/26 season, virtually the same as forecast last month but around 6 million tons more than in the previous year, crop agency Conab said on Tuesday.

Conab cited an expected 3.6% rise in the size of the area being sowed with the oilseed, to 49 million hectares (121.081 million acres), and noted Brazilian exports may surpass 112 million tons in the new marketing year as the U.S. is expected to reduce its own soy exports amid a trade war with China.

Parana state soy farmers are the most advanced in planting, with 31% of the area already sown, followed by Brazil’s top farm state Mato Grosso, with 18.9% of fields already planted, Conab said.

“In most regions, the crop’s fallow period has already ended, and farmers are waiting for the rains to return, which should occur in the second half of October,” Conab said.

Brazilian corn farmers will harvest an estimated 138.6 million tons, virtually the same as Conab had forecast in September. They will plant corn on 22.68 million hectares nationwide, the agency said, representing a 3.9% rise from the last season.

Brazil’s second corn, which is planted after soybeans are harvested in the same areas, will, meanwhile, total 113.2 million tons in the new season, Conab predicted.

Second corn represents the bulk of the nation’s output and is mainly exported in the second half of each year.

(Reporting by Ana Mano; Editing by Joe Bavier)