Chapter 03
Let’s talk today about the arrival of wheat in Brazil, come with us and embark on this series about wheat.
Wheat arrived in Brazilian lands in 1534, brought by Martim Afonso de Souza, who landed in the captaincy of São Vicente. The hot climate made it difficult to expand the culture. Letters from the colonists record the lack of wheat and complaints about the breads made with manioc flour. It was only in the second half of the 18th century that wheat cultivation began to develop in Rio Grande do Sul. However, at the beginning of the 19th century, the blight decimated the wheat fields. Planting was only resumed in the 20s of the last century. From the 1940s onwards, wheat plantations began to expand in Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná, which became the main producing state in Brazil. Research with seeds enabled an increase in the planted area and crop yield. Today, Brazil produces around 6 million tons, importing another 4 million to meet domestic consumption.