More trouble for corn crops in Brazil's Parana as low rainfall forecast for coming weeks

New Delhi — Rainfall over in the key corn growing state of Parana in Brazil is likely to be low during March 11-24, Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia said in its latest forecast.

Parana, second-largest corn producer in Brazil, may receive light rains during March 11-18, and the accumulated rainfall in northern part of the state could be below 30 mm during March 18-24, the weather department said.

A lack of sufficient rain in the state may hamper planting of the second, or safrinha, corn crop, which is in its final stages, the report said.

The State Agriculture and Supply Secretariat had earlier forecast 2019-20 first corn production at 3.2 million mt, up 3.5% year on year, and the second corn crop at 12.3 million mt, down 7.5% year on year.

The state has already been beset by planting delays.

The second corn planting in Parana reached 84% of its projected 2.17 million ha as of March 9, according to data released by the state agriculture department. In Parana, the ideal planting window for the second corn crop closes by March 10 and crops planted after this period could face weather-related risks.

A further drop in the crop yield or the crop area in Parana could exacerbate supply issues at a time when animal feed manufacturers are paying high prices to procure corn.

The average weekly wholesale corn price in Parana was Real 47 per 60 kg ($10.12/60 kg) during the first week of March, up 27.4% year on year, according to data provided by the national agricultural agency, Companhia Nacional de Abastecimento (Conab).

The weather agency also said Rio Grande do Sul may see only light rains during March 11-18, which is likely to further add to the yield losses of first corn crop.

Rio Grande do Sul, the largest producer of the first corn crop in Brazil, has seen a significant drop in yields due to drought this season.

Corn production in Rio Grande do Sul is expected to be around 4.4 million mt in 2019-20, down 24.1% from last year due to drought, according to the latest survey by the state's Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development.

About 57% of corn crops in Rio Grande do Sul have already been harvested, 5% are in germination and vegetative development stage, 7% are flowering, 18% in grain filling and 13% are mature, according to the latest report from the state's agriculture department.