Brazil grain harvest reaches record 361.7 million tons, Conab says
Brazil is expected to harvest a record 361.7 million metric tons of grains and fibers in the 2025/26 crop year, according to the latest estimate from Conab, the country’s food supply and crop agency.
The figure marks a 2.6% increase from the previous season and is 0.3% above the August estimate. The revision reflects progress in the second corn crop harvest, where yields have come in above expectations.
The record Brazil grain harvest is being driven mainly by gains in soybeans, corn and cotton. Rice, beans and wheat, by contrast, are expected to post declines from the previous cycle.
Brazil’s planted area grew 1.7% from 2024/25, reaching 83.5 million hectares. The largest increases came from soybeans, which added 1.3 million hectares, or 2.7%; corn, up 762,500 hectares, or 3.5%; and sorghum, whose planted area rose 32.9%, adding 537,000 hectares.
Soybean output hits all-time high
Soybeans, Brazil’s flagship crop and one of the country’s main export products, are projected at 180.4 million metric tons, the highest output ever recorded in Conab’s monitoring series.
The volume represents a 5.2% increase from the previous cycle, supported by a 2.7% expansion in planted area and a 2.5% gain in yields.
Soybean exports are also expected to reach a record, with shipments projected at 116.2 million metric tons.
Corn crop reaches 144 million tons
Brazil’s total corn crop is estimated at 144 million metric tons, up 2% from the previous season.
The first corn crop registered a record yield of 7,191 kg per hectare, an 8.8% increase. The second crop is projected at 112.1 million metric tons, just 1% below the previous record.
The third corn crop, however, is expected to fall 20.1% to 2.39 million metric tons.
Cotton output also sets record
Cotton production is forecast at 4.14 million metric tons in the 2025/26 cycle, the highest volume in the historical series.
Even with a 3.2% decline in planted area, estimated at 2.02 million hectares, crop productivity is expected to rise 4.9%, reaching a record 2,053 kg of lint per hectare.
Output is forecast 1.5% above the 2024/25 result and 1.4% higher than Conab’s August estimate.
The chart below provides a historical overview of Brazil’s containerized cotton exports, according to Datamar data:
Cotton Exports | Jan 2023 – Jul 2026 | TEUs
Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)
Bean crop falls despite higher yields
Among the crops expected to decline, bean production is estimated at 2.95 million metric tons, confirming a 3.6% drop from the previous season.
The reduction is mainly tied to a 5.7% decrease in planted area, although average yields rose 2.2% to 1,161 kg per hectare.
For domestic supply, projected demand remains at 2.7 million metric tons, in line with the previous crop year.
Rice output declines on smaller planted area
Brazil’s rice crop is also expected to be smaller, with production estimated at 11.08 million metric tons in 2025/26, down 13.2% from the previous cycle.
The decline reflects a 14% reduction in planted area, estimated at 1.52 million hectares, despite a 1% gain in average productivity to 7,303 kg per hectare.
According to Conab, producers opted to reduce rice area because of less attractive prices and a shift toward crops such as soybeans and corn.
Wheat crop drops 27.1%
Among winter crops, wheat production is expected to reach 5.74 million metric tons in 2025/26, down 27.1% from the previous cycle.
The decline reflects a 21.2% reduction in planted area and lower average yields, which are estimated at 2,978 kg per hectare, down 7.5%.
With domestic supply falling, wheat imports are forecast at 7.06 million metric tons.
Conab said it will continue updating figures for crops that are still in the field, including wheat, in upcoming reports.
Source: CNN Brasil