A lot has been said these past weeks about the increase in the area to be planted to soybean for the next harvest: a jump of more than 2 million acres from last season. That would set a new record for Brazil. Where are those new acres coming from?

This area is distributed between the 5 Brazilian ag regions: MATOPIBA (Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí and Bahia states), Southeast, South, Midwest and North, as shown in the map below:

The soybean planting is expected to grow another 6% in the next harvest. This would mean the biggest increase in 5 years, with producers opening areas and incorporating pastures to take advantage of grain profitability. The planting in the North and Northeast region will grow over 900,000 acres, an important part of the over 2 million acres that is expected to advance all over Brazil.

These increased soy acres in the north are becoming part of the Brazilian soybean route. One advantage is the closeness to the ocean, facilitating logistics and exports. The Brazilian Agribusiness Research Company (EMBRAPA) is already working on varieties that work best in that region and should release it in the next 2 or 3 harvests. Meanwhile, since the climate is similar to Mato Grosso, seeds from that region are working. The heat typical from that region is also a plus, diminishing cases of fungus like the Asian rust.