Brazil’s Second Corn Crop Prospects Improve on Rains, AgRural Says

By Roberto Samora

SAO PAULO, April 7 (Reuters) – Showers last week and forecasts of more rain throughout April brought relief to second corn crop farmers in Brazil, according to an agribusiness consultancy and a weather forecaster.

The main corn-producing areas started to receive showers this week, agrometeorologist Marco Antonio dos Santos said on Monday, adding the timing is good for growing plants.

“Last week saw a new round of very welcome rains in several second-crop corn producing areas in south-central Brazil,” agribusiness consultancy AgRural said in a report on Monday.

Brazil’s second-crop corn, which is expected to account for more than 75% of Brazil’s 2024/25 corn harvest, is the focus of traders’ attention now that most of the soybeans have been harvested.

The second corn crop is planted in the same fields as soybeans, after those are harvested. First corn is planted at the same time as soybeans.

Harvesting of Brazil’s soybeans for the 2024/25 season hit 87% of the planted area as of Thursday, April 3, according to AgRural, which noted harvesting work is now concentrated in Rio Grande do Sul state, where drought cut yields and output.

Brazilian farmers have so far harvested 88% of the first corn area, versus 85% a year earlier, AgRural said.

Concerns about Brazil’s second-crop corn fueled a domestic price rally that abated last week. In the month to Friday, corn fell 3.5%, to 84.63 reais per 60-kg bag, according to the closely watched Cepea indicator.

“As happened the previous week, the improvement in humidity helps to stem the losses in production potential caused by the hot and dry weather that predominated in part of the region during March,” said AgRural.

The consultancy said the distribution of rainfall was irregular, and “there are still areas in urgent need of more moisture.”

This year, farmers are poised to reap 95.5 million metric tons of second corn, 6% more than last season, according to projections by national crop agency Conab.

(Reporting by Leticia Fucuchima and Roberto Samora; Writing by Isabel Teles and Ana Mano; Editing by Oliver Griffin and David Gregorio)