Prices paid to producers of beans climb 30%

Low stocks and the adverse climate are contributing to that prices paid to producers of beans stay profitable levels in Minas Gerais. During the first quarter, even with an expectation of reaping a harvest 20.8% higher, the 60-pound bag presented 30% high prices relative to the value in the same period in 2015, reaching 201.53 R$. The loss of productivity in important municipalities producers is one of the factors that limit the supply and sustain the high prices.
According to data from the national supply company (Conab), the expected first crop bean production in Minas Gerais is 198.6 1000 tons, up 20.8% compared to the previous harvest. However, as the progress of the harvest, are being recorded significant losses and the trend is that the volumes are revised down.
According to the Director of Agriculture of Rural Syndicate of Unaí, in the Northwest of the State, and President of the agricultural cooperative of Unaí (Coagril), José Carlos Ferigolo, besides the weather, the competition with other cultures and the rise of costs contributed to a smaller production.
"In recent years, the planting of beans in the region of Unaí has been dropping and the tendency is that investments in the next harvests are limited. In this first crop of Grand, we had problems with drought in the deployment period of culture and then, in January, with the excess rains. With that, we''re registering decline of up to 60% on productivity ".
According to Ferigolo, only in the area of cultivation of Unaí beans first crop was reduced by 50%, depending on the migration of farmers to other crops more profitable and with greater liquidity, such as soya and maize. The area for the first crop was of 11 1000 hectares. Other factors such as the high costs of maintenance of the fields and costly control whitefly desestimularam investments.
"The bean production was severely affected by the weather and the supply of grain is small. We''re ending the harvest and virtually the entire crop was traded, with around 20% only. Even with lucrative prices, the trend is not to plant a second crop of beans, the incidence of whitefly and there won''t be expanding the growing area at the third harvest, which is irrigated. Producers should prioritize planting corn or cereal seed ".
The data of the State Secretariat of agriculture, livestock and food supply (Seapa) show that Unai is the main municipality producer of beans, with harvest of around 1000 23.1 tons in the first harvest, accounting for 40% of the offer first crop bean.
The second largest producer is Bonfinópolis de Minas, in the Northwest of the State, where were also recorded losses. The production is estimated at 1000 12.1 tons in the first year. According to the Manager of the farm production Sao Paulo, one of the main producers of the municipality, José Wilson Barnes, the drought registered in budding period hurt bean yield and productivity fell 18.4%.
"The weather at the start of the productive period crippled production and one of the consequences that we are registering is the lowest yield. We had hoped to reap about 45 bags of 60 kilos of by acres, but we''re reaching around 38 bags per hectare ".