Sep 12, 2022
Paraguay Soybean Planting Underway, 4% Planted as of Last Week
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
Farmers in Paraguay have started planting their 2022/23 soybeans with an estimated 4% of their soybeans planted as of last Wednesday according to the director of Dasagro. It is estimated that as much as 50% of the soybeans may be planted by the end of September and planting should be completed before the end of October. Farmers want to plant as quickly as conditions permit to hopefully get ahead of potential weather problems resulting from the ongoing La Nina.
Early planting of the soybeans in Paraguay also allows for early planting of safrinha corn and safrinha soybeans, which is critical for both crops to reach their yield potential.
The 2021/22 soybean production in Paraguay was a disaster due to drought and record high temperatures resulting from La Nina. In contrast, the safrinha corn production in Paraguay was record high in 2021/22.
La Nina caused problems for the soybeans which ended up helping the safrinha corn. A significant percentage of the 2021/22 soybeans were abandoned and not harvested, which allowed the farmers to plant their safrinha corn earlier than normal. There were also reports of farmers planting their safrinha corn into existing soybean fields where the yields were so poor that the soybeans were not going to be harvested.
Farmers in Paraguay also planted more safrinha corn than anticipated in 2021/22 in the hope of compensating for the disappointing soybean crop. The safrinha corn was planted as early as late December or early January. The weather turned more favorable starting in January and remained beneficial for the remainder of the growing season.