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February 11, 2001
Recent rains have eased dryness in Paraguay’s soybean areas. During the week of January 20 to 26, 2002, precipitation amounts of 50-150 mm fell in the main soybean-producing areas of eastern Paraguay. The following week, January 27 to February 2, more rain fell. Precipitation totaled between 100 and 200 mm. Prior to the rainfall at the end of January, these areas had been increasingly dry, causing concern for the soybean crop.
December rainfall amounts had been half of normal and early January rainfall continued that pattern, causing concern for the developing soybean crop.
Paraguay Soybean Area
Paraguay’s soybean area is located in the east, with the major growing areas in the Parana River Valley. The two most important areas are the departments of Alto Parana and Itapua, which account for almost 70 percent of national production, according to the last agricultural census in 1998. Below-normal rainfall was registered in early December and again in January in the major soybean areas. The recent rains alleviated the dryness, but may have caused localized flooding. A similar pattern occurred in the minor soybean growing areas.
Paraguay Soybean Estimates
Soybean production has doubled since 1992, with both area and yield steadily increasing. USDA estimates Paraguay’s 2001/02 soybean production at 3.3 million tons, down 6 percent from last year’s record output. A record harvested area of 1.3 million hectares is forecast with 2.54 tons per hectare yield.
For
more information, contact Robert
Tetrault
with the Production Estimates and
Crop Assessment Division
