As soon as rains appear in the sky, soybean planting season will kick off in Brazil. However, the start of the 2017-18 season in the world’s largest soybean exporter — and probably the entire season — is set to be bumpy and full of uncertainties.
As of September 16, farmers were authorized to start sowing in Mato Grosso and Parana states, the two main producers in the country. Weather forecasters warn, though, that rains have not arrived yet and may not arrive anytime soon. Cooler-than-average waters in the Pacific Ocean — but not cool enough to characterize a La Niña phenomenon — will make rains irregular during the first fours weeks of the planting period, until mid October. Only on the second half of October the precipitation will normalize and planting will go on properly, according to specialists.