Records in the horizon for the value of the productions of soy and sugarcane
Valor Econômico
The gross value of production ("within the farm") of the 20 main agricultural crops of the country should amount to R$ 159.580 billion (US$ 92.8 billion) in 2010, according to a survey released by the Ministry of Agriculture yesterday. Besides being R$ 2.741 billion (US$ 1.6 billion) (1.7%) higher than the forecast released by the Government in December, the new estimate represents a 4.3% increase compared to last year's result (R$ 153.029 billion/US$ 77.8 billion) and it is "only" R$ 670 million (US$ 389.5 million) below the record of 2008 (R$ 160.250 billion/US$ 87.6 billion).
The upwards correction made by the team of José Garcia Gasques, strategic planning coordinator of the Ministry, results from the high general level of the prices of the main commodities traded by Brazil in the international market and from the increase of the forecast of the National Food Supply Company (Conab) for the harvest of grains in the country this 2009/10 harvest. According to the last survey made by the Conab, released last week, the national production will get to 141.347 million tons, 0.5% more than what was expected in December and 4.6% above the volume of the 2008/09 season.
As usual, harvest and gross value are driven by soy, the main product of the Brazilian agribusiness. In view of the strong increase of the 2009/10 harvest - 14% over 2008/09, to 65.159 million tons, a new record -, the Ministry started projecting the revenue of the grain at R$ 45.478 billion (US$ 26.4 billion) this year, 8.4% above 2009 and also a record. The expected performance for soy also tends to increase the leadership of Mato Grosso among the States of greater gross value of production in 2010.
Gasques' survey shows the consolidation of the sugarcane in the second position among the crops of biggest gross value, with R$ 26.081 billion (US$ 15.2 billion) this year, 3.7% more than in 2009 and also a new record. In third place comes the corn crop, which disappointed in this summer harvest, with R$ 13.926 billion (US$ 8.1 billion), 13.9% less than in the last cycle. The value of the production of coffee should increase 23.3%, to R$ 13.107 billion (US$ 7.6 billion) - another record.