Mato Grosso faces cotton harvest delay and grain storage shortfall

In Mato Grosso, the 2025/26 cotton harvest has reached only 13.11% of the planted area, lagging behind previous seasons. Independent consultant Pery Pedro attributes the slowdown to later‑than‑expected soy planting caused by heavy rains, which pushes cotton sowing into the off‑season and reduces productivity. Despite a rise in cotton yield to 310.67 arrobas per hectare and a price drop of 3.16% to R$ 856.47 per tonne, the harvest remains the lowest of the past five‑year average.

At the same time, the state’s grain‑storage capacity is projected to cover just 53% of the 2026 crop, according to Conab’s 2026 Agrologistic Yearbook. Static storage facilities total about 56.1 million tonnes, far short of the expanding production. The shortfall is most acute in the North‑East micro‑regions, where a deficit of over 5 million tonnes forces farmers to sell early at lower prices or use temporary open‑air storage. Both issues highlight a growing infrastructure gap that could pressure farmer bargaining power and increase reliance on road transport, prompting calls for public and private investment in new silos.