Brazil has record soy, grains harvest

BRASILIA: Brazil had the best soybean and grains harvest in its history with 159.5 million metric tons for the 2010-2011 period, the agriculture ministry said Tuesday.

That projected figure represents a seven percent increase compared to the 2009-2010 season, which had established a record with 149.2 tons.

The area under cultivation also increased, by nearly 4 percent, to 49.3 million hectares (122 million acres).

The soybean harvest is virtually complete, with 73.6 million tons (+7.2 percent). Brazil is the world's second-largest producer of soybeans, behind the United States.

Corn production reached 56 million tons, which was roughly the same as the prior harvest, the ministry said.