South American harvests are expected to hit record highs and lows

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South American harvests are expected to hit record highs and lows

The weather created two different scenarios for South American crops.

University of Illinois postdoctoral fellow Joana Colussi, a native of Brazil, says Brownfield Brazil expects to bounce back from last year’s poor returns.

“If the weather cooperates, Brazil could have the biggest harvest in their history; over 300 million tons. I’m talking in general – corn, soybeans, cotton, coffee, wheat and rice.” That’s a 15% increase over last season.

But, she says farmers in Argentina are struggling with drought from the third consecutive La Nina weather pattern.

“Argentina is currently harvesting wheat and the projection so far is 50% lower than last year due to drought and recent frosts in October and November.”

She says Brazil’s winter wheat crop is on track to set a record, but Argentina’s wheat crop is estimated at just 455,000 bushels, down 45 percent from last season and the lowest in recent years. seven years.

Brownfield interviewed Colussi during the 2022 Farm Assets Conference in Champaign, Illinois.