Brazilian wheat production should total 10.935 million tonnes in 2022 as four states are likely to increase output in what will be a record season for local farmers, according to agribusiness consultancy Safras & Mercado on Wednesday.

The new estimate represents an increase from the 10.5 million tonnes previously expected.

The adjustment takes into account the likely rise in output in the states of Parana, Sao Paulo, Goias, Bahia and in the Federal District.

The new forecast underscores that Brazil is on track to produce all of the wheat it needs in the space of 10 years or less, as the government has predicted.

The country remains a net importer and buys most of its wheat from neighboring Argentina, but that may soon change.

If projections are confirmed, Brazil’s wheat production this year will be 41.2% higher than the 7.745 million tonnes in 2021, which was already a record, Safras said.

Thanks to the development of new wheat varieties, Brazilian farmers are able to cultivate wheat plants adapted to tropical conditions.

This has boosted the country’s production potential as cultivation moves to hotter and drier farms in the center of the country, in the Cerrado biome, where growers traditionally plant corn and soybeans.

Safras said Parana will be the second largest producing state this season, with 4.2 million tonnes, behind top producer Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil’s southernmost state, where farmers are expected to reap 5.1 million tonnes this season.

Source: Reuters