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In May, Brazilian soybean farmgate prices decreased 2% compared to the previous year. Currency appreciation and downward pressure on basis contributed to a decline in domestic soybean prices.
Farmgate corn prices in May were 8% lower than the previous year. The decline is attributed to favorable safrinha crop conditions and a stronger Brazilian real, which have put downward pressure on prices.In April 2025, Brazilian soybean exports reached 15.3m metric tons, 4% higher than the previous month. Year-to-date exports are 2% above last year, driven by a record harvest and China’s shift away from US-origin soybeans.In April 2025, corn exports totaled 0.2m metric tons, 80% lower than the previous month. Year-to-date corn exports are 14% below last year’s level.
Safrinha crop conditions are mostly favorable across all producing regions. Rains in April have been supportive to potential yields. RaboResearch estimates total corn production at 129m metric tons, a 6m-metric-ton increase compared to the previous year.
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced Thursday the release of congressionally mandated Emergency Livestock Relief Program (ELRP) payments to cover grazing losses due to eligible drought or wildfire events in 2023 and/or 2024.The USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is leveraging existing Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) data to streamline payment calculations and expedite relief. Emergency relief payments are automatically issued for producers who have an approved LFP application on file for 2023 and/or 2024, and they do not have to contact USDA to receive payments.“The Department of Agriculture is stepping up to support livestock producers by expediting disaster payments when drought and wildfires strike. Under President Trump’s leadership, USDA has the backs of ranchers, and that’s why we are delivering much-needed emergency relief ahead of schedule,” Rollins says.
Brazil, the world's largest poultry exporter and China’s biggest chicken meat supplier, confirmed a bird flu outbreak on a commercial poultry farm in the city of Montenegro in its southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul on May 16, triggering a slew of international trade bans. The Brazilian government had asked China to restrict its embargo to poultry products just from the city where the outbreak occurred, but Beijing's announcement showed it had shrugged off the call for a limited ban. China, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are among the main destinations for Brazil's chicken exports. The other three countries imposed only statewide bans. The European Union and South Korea have also banned Brazilian chicken. Brazil exported some $10 billion of chicken meat in 2024, accounting for about 35% of global trade, making a nationwide ban painful not just for Brazilian farmers but also major importers. Brazilian farmers have been counting on warming relations between President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Chinese President Xi Jinping to ease the poultry trade ban.
Manitoba’s seeding reached 85% by May 27, exceeding the five-year average (69%), with early planting boosting yield potential. Winter wheat and fall rye look strong, and spring cereals are nearly done, with some at the three-leaf to one-tiller stage. Canola seeding was 76% complete, with flea beetles and soil crusting affecting emergence. Rainfall varied—below 60% of normal in the east and Interlake, but over 150% in the southwest and central areas. Dryness worries persist in the northwest, Interlake, and east, though some southwest fields have standing water.
Experts urge caution with hot equipment in dry areas, recommending fire extinguishers or water trucks nearby. While crops look good overall, sustained moisture is critical to avoid yield losses.
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