Conab forecasts a 3,7% increase in soybean planting in Brazil in 2025/26 and a new record harvest.
The area planted with soybeans in Brazil was estimated at 49,08 million hectares.
Reuters - The area planted with soybeans in Brazil in 2025/26, whose planting is in its initial phase, was estimated at 49,08 million hectares, a 3,7% increase compared to the previous cycle, with global demand for the product expanding, the National Supply Company (Conab) stated this Thursday.
Data from the study "Perspectives for Agriculture 2025/2026" also indicate that the harvest in the largest producer and exporter of soybeans could reach a new record of 177,67 million tons, a 3,6% increase compared to the previous cycle, considering a practically stable productivity versus 2024/25.
"If there are no weather problems, national production should reach another record high, reinforcing Brazil's position as the world's largest soybean producer," the state-owned company said in a statement.
According to Conab, global demand for soybeans continues to expand, driven by increased crushing for animal feed and higher biofuel production, both in Brazil and abroad.
The agency stated that, even with pressured domestic prices and profitability challenges, "the crop maintains high liquidity and attractive returns for producers."
Conab indicated a 3,1% increase in the area planted with soybeans in Mato Grosso, Brazil's main producer, to 13,13 million hectares, and pointed to larger percentage increases in new frontiers, such as Pará (11,2%, to 1,4 million hectares), Bahia (9,4%, to 2,33 million hectares), Tocantins (7,4%, to 1,68 million hectares) and Maranhão (6%, to 1,5 million hectares).
Growth in the planted area of Brazil's main agribusiness product would occur even in a scenario of higher interest rates and costs, factors seen by private analysts as limiting expansion, according to analysts interviewed by Reuters.
For corn, the study indicates a planted area in the country in 2025/26 of 22,63 million hectares, a 3,5% increase compared to the previous cycle. "This movement is supported by the expectation of increased domestic consumption, driven mainly by increased demand for the grain for ethanol production, as well as the prospect of greater external demand," he stated.
Conab noted that the increased external demand is related to a possible redirection of Asian purchases of North American corn to South American corn, "in response to increased tariffs imposed by major importing countries in Asia." This factor has benefited Brazilian soybeans this year.
Brazil's total corn crop in 2025/26 is projected to reach 138,28 million tons, a 1% decrease compared to the previous cycle, amid a forecast of reduced average national productivity.
"This drop in productivity stems from the exceptional level recorded in the 2024/25 harvest, which benefited from largely favorable weather conditions," he explained.
Corn and soybeans account for the largest share of Brazil's grain and oilseed production in 2025/26. Considering all products, including cotton, rice, and others, the harvest is expected to total 353,76 million tons, a 1% increase compared to the previous year, according to the study.
The area planted with grains and oilseeds in Brazil in 2025/26 was estimated at 84,24 million hectares, a 3,1% increase compared to the previous year.
Rice prices are falling, cotton prices are rising.
The area planted with cotton in Brazil in 2025/26 was estimated at 2,16 million hectares, a 3,5% increase compared to the previous cycle, according to the study. "The good profitability and the possibility of selling production in advance have led producers to opt for the crop or to expand their areas," said the state-owned company.
Production could grow 0,7% compared to the previous cycle, reaching a record 4,09 million tons (lint).
In the case of rice, the forecast indicates a 5,6% drop compared to the previous cycle, to 1,66 million hectares.
Conab explained that the outlook for the 2025/26 rice harvest in Brazil is "more challenging," a result of increased national and international production in 2024/25, which generated a supply surplus and devaluation of the grain.
The rice harvest was projected at 11,46 million tons, a decrease of 10,1% compared to the previous cycle.
