January 2, 2006

 

Argentina's 2005/06 wheat harvest 71 percent collected

 

 

Argentine farmers made quick progress this week while collecting the 2005/06 wheat crop, the Agriculture Secretariat reported Thursday.

 

By Thursday, farmers had collected 71 percent of the crop, up from 58 percent a week ago but down from 81 percent a year ago.

 

In Buenos Aires Province, which is home to 58 percent of the national planted wheat area, the average yield up until last week was 2.3 tonnes/hectare. In Cordoba Province, the average yield was 2.5 tonnes/hectare last week.

 

The USDA, which has forecast the average yield this season at 2.39 tonnes/hectare, sees final output totaling 12.1 million tonnes.

 

So far, farmers have harvested 3,452,340 hectares, the Secretariat said.

 

Planted area totals 5.035 million hectares, down from 6.262 million hectares a year ago. Farmers planted less wheat this season because of dry weather and low wheat prices.

 

According to a recent forecast from the Buenos Aires Cereals Exchange, farmers will produce 11.4 million tonnes of wheat in 2005/06. That would put production down about 47 percent from the previous year, when output was a record 16.345 million tonnes, according to the Exchange.

 

Collectable area totals 4.908 million hectares, down from 6.09 million hectares a year ago, according to the Exchange.

 

Nationwide, the average yield last week dropped to 2.56 tonnes/hectare from 2.67 tonnes/hectare a week earlier, the Exchange said earlier this week.

 

Argentines plant wheat May through August and harvest it October through January.