Brazil agribusiness sees record employment and productivity gains

The Brazilian agribusiness sector reached a historic milestone in the second quarter of 2026, employing 28.4 million people, the highest figure for this period since 2012. According to data from Cepea and the CNA, the primary segment grew by 2.7%, driven largely by coffee, soy, and corn production. While the average real wage in the sector rose by 3.7% to R$ 2,972, it remains 14.5% below the national average.

In the state of Goiás, soybean productivity has seen significant growth, increasing by 15.4% between the 2016/17 and 2025/26 harvests. This brings the state's yield to 3.9 tons per hectare, outperforming the national productivity growth average of 9.4%. Total soybean production in Goiás reached a historic 20.1 million tons, supported by technological advancements such as improved seed varieties, modern machinery, and sustainable practices like crop rotation and nitrogen-fixing bacteria use.