SAO PAULO, March 26 (Reuters) - Brazil's 2011/12 soybean crop is seen falling to 66.7 million tonnes from 68 million tonnes forecast in February as the effects of drought in the southern producer states takes its toll, crop forecasters AgRural said on Monday.
Drought this season over the South American grain crop in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, which together produce over half the world's soy trade, has raised concers of falling stocks of the world's most important source of protien.
Yields have been falling consistently in all Brazil's large growing states, with the exception of the No. 4 producer Goias that got excellent rains this year. Sharp declines were registered in the states of Parana and Rio Grande do Sul, the No. 2 and No. 3 soy growers.
The drought that began in November has been particularly acute in those southern states.
Expected average Brazilian yields have fallen to 44.9 60-kg bags per hectare from 45.7 bags/ha in February, the forecasters said. Yields reached a record 51.9 bags/ha last season.
Area planted reached a record 24.82 million hectares this season.
Harvest has passed the halfway point with 61 percent of the crop collected, up from 55 percent the week earlier. The No. 1 soybean state Mato Grosso is nearly the end of harvest already with 93 percent of its crop collected, AgRural said.
Drought this season over the South American grain crop in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, which together produce over half the world's soy trade, has raised concers of falling stocks of the world's most important source of protien.
Yields have been falling consistently in all Brazil's large growing states, with the exception of the No. 4 producer Goias that got excellent rains this year. Sharp declines were registered in the states of Parana and Rio Grande do Sul, the No. 2 and No. 3 soy growers.
The drought that began in November has been particularly acute in those southern states.
Expected average Brazilian yields have fallen to 44.9 60-kg bags per hectare from 45.7 bags/ha in February, the forecasters said. Yields reached a record 51.9 bags/ha last season.
Area planted reached a record 24.82 million hectares this season.
Harvest has passed the halfway point with 61 percent of the crop collected, up from 55 percent the week earlier. The No. 1 soybean state Mato Grosso is nearly the end of harvest already with 93 percent of its crop collected, AgRural said.
