Commodities - Brazil grain harvest projected to rise

The Brazilian government says the nation's 2010 grain harvest is expected to be 11 percent higher than last year's.

The government's IBGE statistics bureau said in a statement on Thursday that Brazil's 2010 production is expected to be 149 million tons, compared to 134 million tons in 2009.

The statement says the planted area decreased 1.1 per cent to 46.7 million hectares, or 115.4 million acres.

Of the 25 products surveyed, oats are expected to post the biggest production increase with a crop 37 per cent higher than last year's.

Brazil's soybean crop is expected to be 20.6 per cent higher than in 2009. Brazil is the world's second-largest soy producer after the United States.