Agroconsult estimates that Brazilian farmers planted a record 47.8 million hectares of soybeans during the current season. This has resulted in an exceptional harvest, with Brazilian farmers gathering an unprecedented 172.1 million tons of soybeans, according to a national crop tour completed in March.
The majority of Brazilian soybeans are exported to China, which remains a key trading partner, especially amidst the ongoing trade tensions with the United States. Despite these global dynamics, Pessoa emphasized that Brazilian farmers are expected to increase soybean planting, even as they plan to grow more first-crop corn during the summer months. This could lead to competition for land between soybeans and corn in some regions of southern Brazil.
“We will see further growth in soybean acreage in Brazil,” Pessoa noted, highlighting that the expansion will be most noticeable in the central-western and northeastern regions of the country. Brazil remains the world’s largest producer and exporter of soybeans.
However, Pessoa also cautioned that while the soybean acreage will continue to grow, the rate of expansion will slow compared to previous years. In past seasons, the acreage increase has been as high as 2 million hectares in a single year. For the 2025/26 season, the growth is expected to be more modest, at about half that pace.
This continued expansion reflects Brazil’s dominant position in the global soybean market and its farmers’ commitment to meeting international demand, particularly from China. As the 2025/26 season approaches, Brazilian agriculture is preparing for another year of growth, although the pace may be more measured than in previous years.
