BRASILIA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's grain production could reach 269.3 million tons in the 2021-2022 agricultural cycle, an increase of 5.4 percent, or 13.8 million tons, compared to the previous period, the state-run National Supply Company (Conab) said Thursday.
This latest forecast is lower than the previous, which estimated an output of 288.6 million tons.
According to Conab, the downgrade is due to "adverse weather conditions" in Brazil's southern states and in the south-central region of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, leading to a decline in soybeans and corn.
"The result at the end of this harvest will depend a lot on the behavior of the weather, a preponderant factor for the development of crops," Conab's president, Guilherme Ribeiro, said while presenting the report.
According to Conab's forecast, the total area planted in the South American country will reach 72.9 million hectares in the given cycle, or 4.4 percent more compared to 2020-2021.
Soybeans, Brazil's main agricultural export, are expected to yield 122.4 million tons, an 11.4 percent drop compared to the previous cycle.
However, Conab said the decrease in soybean production will be balanced out in part by an increase in area planted, which it estimated at 40.8 million hectares. ■
