Brazil’s harvest in 2016 will reach 209.3 million tons, which is 0.5% less than in 2015 according to the estimates from the Brazilian stats institute, IBGE. The fall is related to less crops of oilseeds, cereals and legumes in the centre west of the vast country, which is also the main farming area, as well as in the north.

The harvest includes 101.5 million tons of soybeans; 28.8 million tons of corn and 12.2 million tons of rice. The three crops represent 90% of Brazil’s total production of food commodities.

This year the final harvest is estimated by IBGE to reach 210.3 million tons, just below an earlier estimate (210.6 million tons), which represents an 8.1% increase over the previous crop year, which in 2014 was 194.6 million tons. The area cultivated is 57.7 million hectares, 86.3% with soy, corn and rice. Soybean production was up 11.7%, rice, 1.2% and corn, 7.3%.

Brazil’s agriculture expansion has been formidable: only a decade ago total production was 112.6 million tons and a cultivated area of 47.6 million hectares, or 21% less than currently.