AgricultureID

State · BR-MG

Minas Gerais

A varied climate spanning dry-winter tropical savanna (Aw) in the west and Triângulo, dry-winter humid subtropical highlands (Cwa) in the cooler south, and a hot semi-arid (BSh) belt in the north.

Major crop systems

  • Arabica coffee — Minas Gerais is Brazil's leading coffee state, spanning Sul de Minas, the Cerrado Mineiro and the Matas de Minas
  • Grain maize, widely grown for feed and processing
  • Sugarcane, concentrated in the Triângulo Mineiro
  • Soybean, common bean and horticulture

Major livestock systems

  • Dairy cattle — the state is a leading milk producer in Brazil
  • Beef cattle on pasture across the centre and north

Agricultural land: A large, topographically diverse state combining highland coffee terrain in the south with mechanised Cerrado grain and cane in the west and dairy across the centre. Irrigation: Most cropping is rainfed; centre-pivot and drip irrigation are important for Cerrado coffee, horticulture and grain in the drier west and north.

Agroecological zones: Aw (Tropical savanna (dry winter)), Cwa (Dry-winter humid subtropical), BSh (Hot semi-arid (steppe))

Documented crops & livestock

Official institutions

  • Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) — National statistical institute; agricultural census and municipal production surveys.
  • Companhia Nacional de Abastecimento (CONAB) — Federal crop-supply agency; official coffee and grain production and harvest surveys.
  • Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa) — Federal agricultural research corporation; Embrapa Milho e Sorgo (Sete Lagoas) is based in the state and coordinates coffee research (Embrapa Café).
  • Empresa de Pesquisa Agropecuária de Minas Gerais (EPAMIG) / Emater-MG — State agricultural research enterprise and rural-extension agency.

Data coverage & limitations

Descriptive profile; subnational statistics for Minas Gerais are published by IBGE, CONAB, Embrapa and EPAMIG and are not reproduced numerically here.

  • Boundaries and administrative classifications follow the official ISO 3166-2 code BR-MG.
  • Any production statistics are dated, source-specific and periodically revised; read them with their year and dataset version.
  • Marked internal contrasts — humid highlands, Cerrado plateaus and a semi-arid north — mean state totals blend distinct farming regions.

Sources

This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.

  1. [1]Embrapa — Brazilian agricultural research corporation (opens in a new tab)

    Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa)

    High

    Cited for: Coffee, maize and dairy systems agronomy

    Type:
    Research institute
    Jurisdiction:
    Brazil
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12
  2. [2]FAOSTAT — FAO statistical database (opens in a new tab)

    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

    Authoritative

    Cited for: National production and yield context

    Type:
    Intergovernmental organization
    Jurisdiction:
    Global
    Accessed:
    2026-07-12