BRAZIL SOYBEAN YIELDS SEEN AVERAGE - USDA REPORT
  Based on field travel in the
  Brazilian state of Parana, soybean yields should be about
  average or 2.0 to 2.2 tonnes per hectare, the U.S. Agriculture
  Department's officer in Sao Paulo said in a field report.
      The report, dated March 24, noted Parana accounts for about
  20 to 24 pct of Brazil's total soybean crop.
      It said generally favorable weather from early December
  through February helped compensate for earlier dryness.
      However, hot, dry weather during the past 20 to 30 days
  followed by an unseasonably brief cold spell during the second
  week of march has raised concern about late planted soybeans
  which are still immature, but the impact may be localized, the
  report said.
      The corn crop is expected to be a record and will create
  serious storage problems, the report said.
      Due to favorable support prices, corn area increased by
  more than 25 pct at the expense of soybeans, and yields are
  expected to be above average, it said.
      Due to late plantings only about 20 pct of the corn crop
  crop has been harvested.
      During the field trip long truck lines were noted at grain
  elevators where preference is given to soybeans over corn, the
  report said.
      New crop wheat plantings are expected to decline  -- Parana
  accounts for about 60 pct of total production. Major reasons
  for the decline are expected reduced government support price
  and good summer crop harvests.
  

